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INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 




Photo, by F. W. Waugh. 
PORTRAIT OF THE AUTHOR, DR. CHARLES A. EASTMAN 
(OHIYESA). 



INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

A GUIDE FOR BOY SCOUTS 
AND CAMP FIRE GIRLS 



BY 

CHARLES A. EASTMAN 

(OHIYESA) 
AuTHOE OP "Wigwam Evenings," etc. 



iN ON'REFER t 

I 




gWVAD ♦ QHS 



BOSTON 

LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY 

1914 



SV(€o\ 
£3 



Copyright, 1914, 
By Little, Brown, and Company. 

AU rights reserved 



Published, September, 1914 



THE COLONIAL PRESS 
C. H. SIMONDS CO., BOSTON, U. 8. A. 

OCT -5 1914 



©a.A380703 



•>/ 






These chapters represent the actual experi- 
ences and first-hand knowledge of the author. 
His training was along these lines, until he 
was nearly sixteen years of age. It is with 
the earnest hope that they may prove useful 
to all who venture into the wilderness in pur- 
suit of wisdom, health, and pleasure, that they 
are dedicated to 

The Boy Scouts op America 

AND 

The Camp Fire Girls op America 



ACKNOWLEDGMENT 

The author acknowledges the courtesy of 
" Boys' Life," " The Boy's World," " The 
Churchman," " The Youth's Companion," 
and " St. Nicholas," in permitting the use of 
chapters of this book which first appeared in 
their pages. 



CONTENTS 

I^HAFTER PAOB 

I. At Home with Nature .... 1 

II. Indian Methods of Physical Training 7 

III. How TO Make Friends with Wild Ani- 

mals 15 

IV. The Language of Footprints ... 25 
V. Hunting with Sung -shot and Bow and 

Arrow 34 

VI. Primitive Modes of Trapping and Fish- 
ing 42 

VII. How TO Make and Handle Indian 

Canoes 48 

VIII. The Camp Site and the Carry . . 55 

IX. How to Build Wigwams and Shelters . 61 
X. Fire Without Matches and Cooking 

Without Pots 69 

XI. How TO Make and Follow a Blazed 

Trail 77 

XII. Indian Signals in Camp and Field . 85 

XIII. An Indian Boy^s Sports . . . .91 

XIV. A Winter Masque 99 

XV. An Indian Girl's Sports . . . .106 

XVI. Indian Names and Their Significance 112 
XVII. Indian Girls' Names and Symbolic 

Decorations 120 



CONTENTS 



CHAPTER PAGB 

XVIII. The Language op Feathers and Cere- 
monial Dress 126 

XIX. Indian Ceremonies for Boy Scouts . 137 
XX. The Maidens' Feast: A Ceremony for 

Girls 146 

XXI. The Gesture -language of the Indian 151 

XXII. Indian Picture-writing .... 159 

XXIII. Wood -CRAFT and Weather Wisdom . 168 

XXIV. The Art of Story - telling . . . 175 
XXV. Etiquette of the Wigwam . . . 182 

XXVI. Training for Service . . . .188 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

Portrait of the Author, Dr. Charles A. East- 
man Frontispiece 

FIGURE p^QB 

1. Method of Tracking a Moose ... 32 

2. Framework of the Wigwam .... 62 

3. The Wigwam 63 

4. Framework of the Teepee .... 65 

5. The Teepee 65 

6. Implements for Making a Fire without 

Matches 70 

7. Making the Fire 71 

8-10. Ground Arrows 94, 96 

11. Indian Symbol for the Home . . . 120 

12. Indian Symbol for the Four Points of the 

Compass 121 

13. Indian Symbol for Life Here and Here- 

after 121 

14. Indian Symbol for Happiness in the Home 121 

15. Indian Symbol for Eternal Union . . 121 

16. Indian Symbol for Footprints . . . 121 

17. Indian Symbol for Lightning or De- 

struction 122 

18. Indian Symbol for Mountains or Prayer 122 

19. Figure of the Thunder -Bird . . 143 

20. The Peace Pipe 145 

21-26. Indian Picture Writings . . . 160-166 



INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

I 

AT HOME WITH NATURE 

TO be in harmony with nature, one 
must be true in thought, free in 
action, and clean in body, mind, 
and spirit. This is the sohd granite foun- 
dation of character. 

Have you ever wondered why most great 
men were born in humble homes and passed 
their early youth in the open country? 
There a boy is accustomed to see the sun 
rise and set every day; there rocks and 
trees are personal friends, and his geog- 
raphy is born with him, for he carries a map 
of the region in his head. In civilization 
there are many deaf ears and blind eyes. 
Because the average boy in the town has 
been deprived of close contact and intimacy 



2 mDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

with nature, what he has learned from 
books he soon forgets, or is unable to apply. 
All learning is a dead language to him who 
gets it at second hand. 

It is necessary that you should live with 
nature, my boy friend, if only that you 
may verify to your own satisfaction your 
schoolroom lessons. Further than this, 
you may be able to correct some error, 
or even to learn something that will be a 
real contribution to the sum of human 
knowledge. That is by no means impos- 
sible to a sincere observer. In the great 
laboratory of nature there are endless 
secrets yet to be discovered. 

We will follow the Indian method, for 
the American Indian is the only man I 
know who accepts natural things as lessons 
in themselves, direct from the Great Giver 
of life. 

Yet there exists in us, as in you, a dread 
of strange things and strange places; light 
and darkness, storm and calm, affect our 
minds as they do yours, until we have 



AT HOME WITH NATURE 3 

learned to familiarize ourselves with earth 
and sky in their harsher aspects. Suppose 
that you are absolutely alone in the great 
woods at night! The Indian boy is taught 
from babyhood not to fear such a situation, 
for the laws of the wilderness must neces- 
sarily be right and just, and man is almost 
universally respected by the animals, unless 
he himself is the aggressor. This is the 
normal attitude of trust in our surround- 
ings, both animate and inanimate; and if 
our own attitude is normal, the environ- 
ment at once becomes so. It is true that 
an innate sense of precaution makes us 
fear what is strange; it is equally true that 
simplicity and faith in the natural wins in 
the end. 

I will tell you how I was trained, as a 
boy, to overcome the terror of darkness and 
loneliness. My uncle, who was my first 
teacher, was accustomed to send me out 
from our night camp in search of water. 
As we lived a roving life in pursuit of 
game, my errand led me often into pathless 



4 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

and unfamiliar woods. While yet very 
young, all the manhood and self-reliance 
in me was called forth by this test. 

You can imagine how I felt as I pushed 
forward alone into the blackness, conscious 
of real danger from possible wild beasts 
and lurking foes. How thrilling, how tan- 
talizing the cry of the screech-owl! Even 
the rustling of a leaf or the snapping of a 
dry twig under foot sent a chill through my 
body. Novice that I was, I did not at once 
realize that it is as easy as swimming; all 
I needed was confidence in myself and in 
the elements. 

As I hurried through the forest in the 
direction my uncle had indicated, there 
seemed gradually to develop sufficient light 
for me to distinguish the trees along my 
way. The return trip was easier. When, 
as often happened, he sent me for a second 
pailful, no protest or appeal escaped my 
lips, thanks to my previous training in 
silent obedience. Instinct helped me, as he 
had foreseen, to follow the trail I had 



AT HOME WITH NATURE 5 

made, and the trees were already old ac- 
quaintances. I could hear my own breath- 
ing in the silence; my footfall and heart- 
beat sounded as though they were those of 
another person coming behind me, and 
while this disturbed me at first, I quickly 
became accustomed to it. Very soon I 
learned to distinguish different kinds of 
trees by the rustling of their leaves in the 
breeze which is caused by the stir of man 
or animal. 

If you can accustom yourself to travel 
at night, how much more you will be able 
to see and appreciate in the daytime! 
You will become more sensible of the un- 
seen presences all about you and under- 
stand better the communications of the 
wild creatures. Once you have thrown off 
the handicap of physical fear, there will 
develop a feeling of sympathetic warmth, 
unknown before. 

In the event of sudden danger, I was 
taught to remain perfectly motionless — a 
dead pause for the body, while the mind 



6 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

acts quickly yet steadily, planning a means 
of escape. If I discover the enemy first, 
I may be passed undiscovered. This rule 
is followed by the animals as well. You 
will find it strictly observed by the young 
ones who are hidden by their mother be- 
fore they are able to run with her; and 
they are made to close their eyes also. 
The shining pupil of the eye is a great give- 
away. 

It is wonderful how quickly and easily 
one can adjust himself to his surroundings 
in wild life. How gentle is the wild man 
when at peace! how quick and masterful 
in action ! Like him, we must keep nature's 
laws, develop a sound, wholesome body, 
and maintain an alert and critical mind. 
Upon this basis, let us follow the trail of 
the Indian in his search for an earthly 
paradise! 



II 

INDIAN METHODS OF PHYSICAL TRAINING 

THE desire to be a man — the native 
spirit of the explorer and the hero 
— this is the strong inner motive 
which leads a boy out on the wilderness 
trail to discover the world anew. First of 
all, he discovers what he himself must be 
in order to overcome diflSculties, to resist 
pain and hardship, and to win the object 
of his quest. 

With these impulses at their purest and 
strongest, the Indian boy begins his career 
with the building of a sound and efficient 
body. The rivers and lakes present them- 
selves as obstacles in his path, and as a very 
young child he starts in to swim, as natu- 
rally, almost, as he begins to walk. The 
writer barely remembers standing on the 



8 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

white, pebbly beach with his grandfather 
at his side; standing silent, full of sincere 
reverence for the spirit of the deep, as he 
stood before the towering cliff, or the ma- 
jestic, solitary tree. In advance of every 
undertaking, the Indian loves to meet thus 
the all-pervading Spirit in the attitude of 
wordless prayer. 

Now the grandfather makes the plunge 
with a boyish shout. " See, see! " he calls 
to the boy as he comes up, breathless and 
exultant, from his dive. '' I am happy as 
I He here cradled by the yielding water. 
You can be as happy, if you will but make 
up your mind to try! " 

Do you see the idea? The simple effort, 
the plunge, that is the important thing. 
The boy is neither frightened nor forced; 
he follows soon of his own accord, and the 
lesson is begun aright under the eye of an 
experienced master. 

As the child grows, he becomes more and 
more expert and daring; from this time on 
he eagerly seeks perfection in his new art. 



METHODS OF TRAINING 9 

His idea of perfection is, jBrst, endurance, 
then swiftness; grace and form come natu- 
rally while aiming at these two. Therefore 
he swims at all times, in rough water and 
against strong currents. When some day 
he is cast suddenly into the water at a dis- 
advantage, wounded, it may be, or obliged 
to swim long under water in order to escape 
the enemy, he knows how to utilize his 
strength to the utmost, and often over- 
comes tremendous odds with the remark- 
able tact and skill of the Indian athlete. 

Clear your mind of all dread and suspi- 
cion; this is the first step in the wilderness 
life. Think not the water will drown you, 
or that anything in the water or on land 
will bite or poison you. Have confidence 
in nature and yourself. Perhaps three- 
fourths of your physical failures are due to 
lack of nerve and will-power. 

It is not my purpose to teach you to 
swim, but to tell you how to use the art 
of swimming toward perfecting an out-of- 
door body and a logical mind. The Indian 



10 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

swims freely at all seasons of the year when 
the water is open. The usual method of 
bathing in winter is to go into a sweat 
lodge (the original Turkish bath) for five 
or more minutes; then he jumps into a hole 
in the ice, which he has cut large enough 
to enter safely, and comes out in a few 
minutes. After a short run, he wraps him- 
self in a buffalo robe with the hair inside 
and sleeps for a while. This makes him a 
new man. The Indian boy often rolls in 
the snow naked when fresh snow is on the 
ground. 

A perfectly trained outdoor man has 
much natural heat in his body, and can 
generate much more by exercise. Little 
clothing is actually needed, and I have seen 
Indians sleep all night without covering, 
in fairly cool weather at that. Much de- 
pends upon habit and early training; yet 
it is quite possible to learn new habits after 
one is well grown. 

One of the first things to do is to accus- 
tom yourself to lie on the ground until 



METHODS OF TRAINING 11 

your muscles make the necessary adjust- 
ment to its hardness and unevenness, and 
you can rest in comfort. Do not worry 
about snakes or insects; they will rarely 
do you harm; nor is there any danger from 
dampness, once you are in training. A few 
evergreen boughs over frozen or wet ground 
are protection enough. The best way to 
sleep in camp is feet toward the fire. There 
are several reasons for this. If, by any 
mischance, the fire escapes, your feet are 
very sensitive and will awaken you in time. 
Also, it is easy to get up without disturbing 
any one. 

The Indian must always arouse every 
fiber of his body before he begins the day. 
The first thing he does when he awakes 
is to stretch every limb to the utmost, and 
finally the entire body. He takes pleasure 
in the most tremendous yawns. He rises 
and starts up the fire; then he runs to the 
nearest stream or lake shore and either 
plunges in or splashes the fresh cold water 
upon his face, chest, and arms. Often he 



n INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

holds his face and eyes under water for 
several seconds. After that, he rinses his 
mouth and throat, rubs himself vigorously 
with the palms of his hands, and combs his 
hair, with the placid pool or spring for his 
only mirror. 

In awakening his sleeping body, the In- 
dian patterns after his animal friends. 
You will observe that no dog gets up and 
walks off without thoroughly stretching 
himself, from the nose to the tip of his tail. 
This is an excellent cure for early morning 
laziness. 

Before winter sets in, he begins to take 
ice-cold foot-baths, and as soon as the first 
snow comes, he walks barefoot in it until 
he gets up a fine glow; then puts on warm, 
fur-lined moccasins. He is perfectly able 
to enjoy life out-of-doors at any season of 
the year, and has no use for the artificial 
house-heat of civilization. If he wets his 
feet at any time, he puts dry hair or even 
grass inside his moccasins, and runs until 
his feet are dry and warm. 



METHODS OF TRAINING 13 

The Indian's stomach is very strong, 
and this is something you should look well 
to, for much depends upon a perfect diges- 
tion. The teeth are valuable assistants, 
and these he exercises vigorously on tough 
muscle and fiber and keeps them clean 
without a toothbrush; in return they give 
him excellent service. He washes out his 
stomach twice a year, after fasting for 
twenty -four hours, by taking a mild de- 
coction of herbs in a quart or two of luke- 
warm water and then tickling his throat 
with a feather. Sometimes he repeats the 
process. 

His best meal is in the evening, when he 
eats heartily, sometimes taking another 
meal later in the night. His breakfast is a 
light one, and if he expects to run much, 
he eats nothing at all. At noon, he cooks 
some game for himself, if convenient. An 
occasional short fast is enjoined upon the 
Indian boy, as a means of developing his 
endurance and self-restraint. 

Although trained from babyhood to 



14 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

awaken easily, his sleep is sound and 
sweet; such sleep as comes after a day of 
healthful bodily exercise in the open air, 
when a good evening meal and the warmth 
of a cheerful camp-fire bring on that de- 
licious drowsiness to which it is a luxury 
to yield. 



Ill 

HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS WITH WILD ANIMALS 

THERE is in the human mind a deep- 
seated and not wholly reasonable 
suspicion of the " silent people," as 
the Indian calls the wild animals, more 
especially of the hunting or carnivorous 
animals. They, on their part, are equally 
cautious, and take note of the scent as 
well as the looks and actions of the people 
they meet. Instinct is to them a sure guide, 
and when they do venture to disobey her 
voice, they almost always come to grief. 
Like children, the animals are very curious, 
and, even though terrified, they will some- 
times stop to investigate the cause of their 
fright. 

I have seen, in the old buffalo days upon 
the upper Missouri, a coyote or gray wolf 



16 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

go unnoticed by a herd of buflfalo, elk, or 
even the timid antelope. The reason for 
this is that it was not the wolf's hunting 
season, which is when there are calves or 
fawns with the herd. Should a wolf come 
in sight at this time, every mother runs 
with her young for safety, and the whole 
herd becomes excited. 

The wolf on the open prairie and the 
silver-tip bear, a near cousin to the grizzly, 
will sometimes take a fancy to keep com- 
pany with you for several miles, if he thinks 
you did not see him. In such a case, he 
will not follow you, but keeps abreast, 
just far enough away to avoid discovery. 
He will occasionally stop and watch you 
from behind cover; but do not be alarmed! 
He has no intention of attacking you. 
Probably he has a home and little ones 
not far off, and wishes to assure himself 
that the stranger has no designs upon his 
peace. 

It is well known to Indian hunters that 
no animal offers battle to man except under 



FRIENDS WITH WILD ANIMALS 17 

very strong provocation. The grizzly bear 
is the notable exception to this rule. Others, 
even the so-called ferocious beasts, need 
not be feared except when pushed to the 
wall. 

No doubt you have been more or less 
influenced by what you have read in books 
of adventure, which are mainly highly 
spiced fiction. If I were to relate to you 
all the fireside stories of the wild Indian, 
whose hunters were constantly in the 
field, you would find that hand-to-hand 
combats with beasts were few indeed. If 
the buffalo and other large animals were 
aggressive in temper, what chance had 
the poor Indian — on foot, and, before 
the coming of the European, armed only 
with bow and arrows or a bone spear? 

There are several things, therefore, which 
you may put down as general truths. First, 
the animals are accustomed to mind strictly 
their own business and are not likely to 
interfere with you unless you molest them 
first. Second, there is a way to learn the 



18 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

peculiarity of each and make his acquaint- 
ance. Third, it is possible to influence 
them greatly, even in critical circumstances, 
by firmness and self-control. 

If ever a grizzly bear happens to charge 
upon you, with wide-open lips showing 
his powerful teeth and eyes flashing with 
anger, have the nerve to stand your ground ! 
Without moving a muscle, your eyes fixed 
on his, you may threaten him with a mere 
sharp stick, and he will change his mind. 
He growls, but you do not answer his chal- 
lenge; he concludes to pass on. Here is a 
clear demonstration of our Indian axiom: 
" Silence is greater than speech." 

A few years ago, an instance of this 
kind came to my ears among the Assini- 
boine Sioux. Four Stars, a brave, followed 
one side of a deep gulch while his two com- 
panions were on the other side, hunting 
deer. As he approached the ravine, which 
was full of wild cherry and plum bushes, 
his friends saw from the opposite bank a 
female silver-tip with her two nearly full- 



FRIENDS WITH WILD ANIMALS 19 

grown cubs lurking within the thicket. 
They made every effort to attract his 
attention, but in vain. He walked right 
down the slope, apparently to his death. 

When the three bears charged, Four 
Stars was taken completely by surprise, 
but he showed no fear. He stopped short 
in his tracks and assumed a rigid pose, 
his old single-loading musket extended 
from his shoulder. The bears came on 
until they could plainly see his eyes; then 
they paused and crouched, displaying their 
teeth and claws. A puff of smoke from 
Four Stars' gun; the mother fell and rolled 
on the ground. The young bears leaped 
savagely forward, but the young man 
ripped off his shirt and threw it in their 
path, causing them to hesitate. Mean- 
while, as his ejector was broken, he used 
a ramrod to push out the shell of his cart- 
ridge, calmly re-loaded and fired, killing 
the two. 

Here was a hero. The odds were against 
him. He knew the pecuHar weakness of 



20 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

the foe, but to take advantage of this 
knowledge required something equally im- 
portant — the nerve of a master man ! 

I need scarcely tell you that the animals 
are suspicious of man. They have every 
reason to be. You must have real love 
and sympathy for them and be consistent 
and straightforward in your dealings, in 
order to gain their friendship. They will 
accept your peace-offering of food as soon 
as they trust you, and in many cases their 
confidence is not hard to win. 

Some will come to you when called, 
and a very interesting instance of this 
occurred last summer, at the country 
home of a friend upon the Rock River in 
Illinois. While a group of us sat on the 
veranda, I gave an imitation of the mother 
rabbit's whistle; and, to our delighted sur- 
prise, a tiny rabbit crept out from under 
the big leaves of some plants near the 
house. It came trustingly up close to the 
railing, and sat there watching us out of 
its bright eyes until I gave the cry of the 



FRIENDS WITH WILD ANIMALS 21 

coyote, when the little thing raced for 
cover ! 

The mother's call and the mating or 
lover's call of different animals may be 
successfully imitated with practice and 
with or without the use of a birch-bark 
horn or other adjunct. A good imitation 
is always answered if in season, and if the 
animal called is within hearing. 

On the prairies and the great lakes you 
can attract animals to you by means of 
signals. This method is based entirely 
upon their insatiable desire to investigate 
whatever is strange to them. You may 
tie something red to a long stick and set 
it upright in full view of antelopes, your- 
self lying motionless near by, and they 
will come very close to inspect it. The 
sand-hill crane will do the same; and if 
you flap your hat or the corner of a blanket 
while lying flat, the Canadian geese will 
circle about you and sometimes alight. 

But the great secret of establishing in- 
tercourse with wild animals is to rove in 



22 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

their domain without doing them harm. 
In this way they come to know you long 
before you have made their acquaintance. 
I cannot tell you how they know when to 
trust you, but know they do! 

If you are near a lake where water-fowl 
congregate, take your canoe at evening 
or in the early morning and paddle quietly 
here and there for several days, and I will 
guarantee that you will be a privileged 
character upon that lake. They will mind 
you no more than they would mind a musk- 
rat, and you will have a splendid opportu- 
nity to study the character and ways of 
each species. 

As to an individual or personal friend- 
ship with a wild creature, the best way is 
to bring one up from infancy, yet allow 
it perfect freedom. In this the Indian 
succeeded remarkably well; and it was not 
uncommon for him to establish an inti- 
macy with an adult animal or bird, al- 
though this is a more difficult feat. You 
must bear in mind that knowing a captive 



FRIENDS WITH WILD ANIMALS 23 

or domestic animal is not at all the same 
thing, as their habits and manners are 
strongly influenced by an artificial environ- 
ment. 

One morning my friend Simon Bonga, 
a three-quarters blood jib way at Leech 
Lake in Minnesota, found a baby fawn 
not more than thirty yards from his house. 
He took some milk to it and left it there. 
The next day he took some more, and soon 
the fawn would drink from his hand. After 
a few days, he would sinrply stand in his 
doorway and give the mother call. The 
fawn would run to him to be fed. A little 
later, not only he but his wife and children 
were able to stroke and pet the little one, 
which continued to live in its native haunts, 
but came regularly to the house for food 
and a frolic. The mother was seen once 
or twice, but made no trouble. 

A year later, I wrote to Mr. Bonga and 
incidentally referred to the fawn. He 
replied: "She is now a respectable young 
lady doe, and we are much attached to 



24 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

her." She has hved the natural Hfe and 
has yet allowed herself the advantage of 
intimate association with human beings, 
while my friend and his family have known 
the charm of close familiarity with one of 
nature's most graceful creations. 



IV 

THE LANGUAGE OF FOOTPRINTS 

YOU have often heard it said that 
" actions speak louder than words." 
It is a fact that both voluntary 
and involuntary actions of the body tell 
truly the mind's purpose, and this is why 
the Indian studies so assiduously every 
record of the comings and goings of his 
fellow creatures, both animal and human. 
The footprint, I want you to bear in 
mind, is first of all a picture of all the prom- 
inent points on the sole. The ball of the 
foot, the heel and toes, hoof and claw, 
each makes its own impress. Even the 
fishes make theirs with their fins, which 
to them are hand and foot. This is the 
wood-dweller's autograph. More than this, 
each series of footprints tells a bit of his- 



26 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

tory, perhaps betrays a secret to the in- 
structed eye, and the natural Indian did 
not neglect to drill his child thoroughly 
in this important branch of learning. 

I will now ask you to enter the forest 
with me. First, scan the horizon and look 
deep into the blue vault above you, to 
adjust your nerves and the muscles of 
your eye, just as you do other muscles by 
stretching them. There is still another 
point. You have spread a blank upon the 
retina, and you have cleared the decks of 
your mind, your soul, for action. 

Let us divide our scouts into small 
groups; one alone is sometimes best, when 
you are pretty well advanced in this study, 
but at first two or three, with a head scout 
or teacher, will do. We will assume that 
you have passed the primary test; that is, 
you have learned to recognize the foot- 
prints of mice, birds, squirrels, rabbits, 
and perhaps to some extent the next set, 
those of the dog, the cat, the fox, and the 
wolf. 



LANGUAGE OF FOOTPRINTS 27 

It is a crisp winter morning, and upon 
the glistening fresh snow we see every- 
where the story of the early hours — now 
clear and plain, now tangled and illegible 
— where every traveler has left his mark 
upon the clean, white surface for you to 
decipher. 

The first question is: Who is he? The 
second: Where is he now? Around these 
two points you must proceed to construct 
your story. 

If the snow is not deep, the imprint of 
the toes and even the claw marks are very 
distinct, but in deep, soft snow you have 
only the holes made by the foot and leg. 
Some animals, such as the cow, drag their 
feet, while the wolf kind make a mark 
much like the print of a cane. This is also 
true of the cat family. The distinguishing 
difference is in the gait, as shown in the 
relative position of the footprints, and 
this is a matter that calls for careful 
attention. The break in each print is 
usually greater behind than before, and 



28 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

this tells you in which direction the animal 
is going. 

The rabbit makes innmnerable tracks 
as soon as it stops snowing, and we may 
be sure that its burrow is not far distant, 
for unless food is scarce or danger immi- 
nent, they will not leave their own immedi- 
ate locality. As to larger animals, love- 
affairs often lead them far afield, and wolves 
and bears cover much ground; yet even 
they have their favorite haunts, and they 
are masters of their map. All these things 
the student of footprints should bear in 
mind. 

It is essential to estimate as closely as 
you can how much of a journey you will 
undertake if you determine to follow a 
particular trail. Many factors enter into 
this. When you come upon the trail, you 
must if possible ascertain when it was 
made. Examine the outline; if that is 
undisturbed, and the loose snow left on 
the surface has not yet settled, the track 
is very fresh, as even an inexperienced eye 



LANGUAGE OF FOOTPRINTS 29 

can tell. Next determine the sex, and 
finally the age, if you can: all these enter 
into the problem of getting your game. 
It is easy to tell the sex of the deer family 
by their footprints; the female has sharper 
hoofs and a narrower foot, while the male 
has rounded points to the hoofs. 

It will also be necessary to consider the 
time of year. It is of no use to follow a 
buck when he starts out on his travels in 
the autumn, and with the moose or elk 
it is the same. If the track is a running 
one, the question is: Was it in play or in 
flight? Look at the toes; if they are widely 
spread, he was running for sport and exer- 
cise; if close together, it was a race for life. 

Many animals for safety's sake go 
through a series of manoeuvers before they 
lie down to rest. For instance, at the end 
of the trail they make two loops, and con- 
ceal themselves at a point where the pur- 
suer must, if he sticks to the trail, pass 
close by their hiding-place and give timely 
warning of his approach. This trick is 



30 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

characteristic of the deer and rabbit fam- 
ihes. 

The tracking of an animal in summer 
is naturally much more difficult than in 
winter, unless the footprints are on soft 
ground. The Indian hunter is then even 
keener in his observations; he looks for 
the displacement of leaves and blades of 
grass, or for broken dry sticks. These 
slight displacements will adjust themselves 
in a short time, to be sure; but in hunting, 
the fresh track is what is wanted. Other 
tracks are not much followed, except those 
of man or bear from whom danger is to 
be feared. A new trail, especially one 
made during a dewy night, is easy to trace 
the next morning, and on the open prairie 
the reflection of sun on the grass blades 
helps, so that sometimes a few paces away 
one may see the trail clearly. 

Referring to winter trailing, I remember 
well an example of perfect accuracy set 
by my uncle, who was a famous hunter. 
I was then a boy of about fifteen, living in 



LANGUAGE OF FOOTPRINTS 31 

the wilds of Manitoba. We came suddenly 
upon a moose track, evidently made on 
the day before, as the upturned snow was 
frosted over by a night's cold. He stopped 
and surveyed the lay of the country. A 
little way ahead a ravine led down to a 
lake, of which the outlet was densely 
wooded with willows and birches. We 
followed the trail down the ravine and 
along the lake shore until we reached this 
stream, and here my uncle paused and 
climbed a tree. When he came down, he 
examined his gun and put in a fresh load, 
then proceeded cautiously a few paces, 
when we came upon another trail crossing 
the first almost at right angles. It, too, 
was a day old. To my surprise, my uncle 
now motioned to me to stay where I was, 
and throwing off some of his garments 
and adjusting his moccasins, he ran back 
on his trail. I waited about half an hour, 
when I heard the report of his gun, and 
soon after he returned with the good news: 
"I got him!" 



32 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

The diagram shows you how it was done. 
The moose had covered his position by a 
swinging loop, and was lying down facing 
the first turn. At that time of year they 
may remain thus for several days. He 
had seen that we did not enter the loop 
and felt safe. My uncle, knowing the 



/' «a.-,<'' 



^W^ MOOSE TRAH- ^S 

HUNTER'S TRAI»- 
FlG. 1. 

trick, had run back a hundred yards or 
so, then circled behind the loop, and 
approached him from the rear, where he 
easily brought him down. 

Among the Indians, the study of human 
footprints was carried to a fine point. 
Many of us would be able to say at a 



LANGUAGE OF FOOTPRINTS 33 

glance, Here goes So-and-So, with perfect 
accuracy. Even the children would rec- 
ognize instantly the footprint of a s.tranger 
from another tribe. It was claimed by 
some that character may be read from the 
footprint, just as some white people under- 
take to read it from the handwriting, on 
the ground that certain characteristic atti- 
tudes and motions of the body, reflecting 
mental peculiarities, affect the gait and 
consequently the pedal autographs. At 
any rate, our people are close readers of 
character, and I do not hesitate to say 
that faithful study of the language of foot- 
prints in all its details will be certain to 
develop your insight as well as your powers 
of observation. 



HUNTING WITH SLING - SHOT AND BOW 
AND ARROW 

IT is likely that the earliest weapon of 
primitive man was that employed by 
the shepherd David, — the little round 
pebble from the brook. It was not de- 
spised as a last resort by the Indians of 
my day, and we boys practised with it 
continually. 

It was customary with us to carry about 
a dozen or so small rounded stones in a 
special leather pouch. We used soft buck- 
skin thongs about eighteen inches long, 
attached to a piece of flexible rawhide 
some two inches square, but usually ta- 
pered to a point, for the sling. This was 
our long distance gun; but the first step 
toward learning its use is the throwing of 
stones accurately by hand. 



SLING -SHOT, BOW AND ARROW 35 

I remember when I was about ten years 
old that my favorite playmate, Redhorn, 
and I used to spend many long mornings 
perfecting ourselves in this art, and we 
kept up our practice until we could hit 
the animal or object aimed at as many 
times as you boys would with a 22 or an 
air gun. 

This training of the eye together with 
the muscles of the arm is the first essential. 
The next is to throw with all your strength 
and still keep your aim true. After mas- 
tering the overhand throw, we practised 
several other varieties, including one 
straight up in the air, which helps in the 
development of waist and back muscles. 

We boys hunted squirrels, rabbits, par- 
tridges, and ducks with stones merely, and 
often succeeded as well as if we had had 
arrows or even guns. One advantage of 
this method is that it is silent and scarcely 
disturbs the game. It is especially lively 
in the fall of the year, when game is abun- 
dant and often young and inexperienced. 



36 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

At this time we often hunted in groups. 
In case of a party of six boys, four would 
take up positions on a point of the lake 
shore, while the other two swam out into 
the lake, making as much noise as possible 
and imitating the screams of the hawk or 
eagle to frighten the ducks. Sometimes 
hundreds would rise with a thunder of 
wings and fly over our heads in large flocks. 
Then our innocent-looking pebbles whis- 
tled through the air like real bullets, and 
at every volley several ducks would drop 
into the water for the swimmers to pick 
up, while flock followed flock in quick 
succession. At such times we were happy 
and gave many a warwhoop and yell of 
delight; though it is true the swimmers 
were in some danger from stray shots, and 
had often to dive to escape the missiles. 

If the ducks are wild, they may be de- 
ceived by stripping off your clothing, daub- 
ing your body with mud, and lying motion- 
less on the shore. When we had killed 
enough, we had the excitement of chasing 



SLING -SHOT, BOW AND ARROW 37 

the wounded ducks in the water, and at 
last we counted our bag and divided equally. 
No boy who is not a good shot should 
hunt in a group with others, as there is 
danger of injuring his companions. 

Upon the western prairies there are in 
some places small alkali lakes, where few 
or no stones are to be found. Here we 
used the sticky alkali mud, on the end of 
a pliable rod or willow switch perhaps two 
and a haK feet long. The lump is about 
the size of a hen's egg and the consistency 
of artist's clay. It is thrown with one 
swing of the arm, and as a rule only stuns 
the duck, so that it is necessary to pick 
up your game after each volley, otherwise 
it may come to life and fly away. In an 
emergency, when no willows were to be 
had, the Indian boy sometimes used his 
arrow, first removing the head and the 
feathers. 

The Indian uses a shorter bow than do 
most primitive people. The regulation 
hunting-bow is less than five feet long. 



38 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

and some of the most convenient ones are 
only four feet. The best bows are made 
of young elm, oak, hickory, ash, and dog- 
wood. Ironwood is good, but not com- 
monly found. There are also elk horn 
and Rocky Mountain sheep horn bows, 
as well as buffalo rib bows, which are 
worked to perfect shape by the use of 
steam. They are usually made in two 
pieces, are difficult to make, and highly 
valued. The boy's ordinary bow is made 
of any kind of wood, but always that from 
a sapling, so as to get the necessary elas- 
ticity. 

The continuous curve bow is not ap- 
proved by us, as one made with concave 
ends and convex in the middle is easier to 
control and does not jerk the arrow off its 
true direction. As soon as the Indian has 
shaped it by whittling, he dries it in proper 
form, and oils it while seasoning to keep 
it supple. When thoroughly seasoned, he 
finishes it by scraping and rubbing with 
the natural sandstone. He then tightly 



SLING -SHOT, BOW AND ARROW 39 

winds each end and the middle with flat 
sinew and notches the ends for the bow- 
string, which is best made of sinew, though 
wild hemp and other materials are used 
on occasion. 

In all my wild life, I never saw arrows 
made of split wood. The young choke- 
cherry and June-berry furnish most of 
the arrows, though the coast tribes some- 
times use reeds. The usual length is twenty- 
eight inches, including the head. They are 
about one-fourth of an inch in diameter 
and very light. The man's arrow is feath- 
ered with three feathers five inches long, 
but most boys' arrows have but two 
feathers, and these may be anywhere from 
two to five inches long, and must curve 
around the body of the arrow in screw 
fashion, otherwise it will not fly straight. 

The Indians made arrow-heads of bone, 
horn, claws and bills of birds, and some- 
times of clam-shells. After the coming of 
the white man, they used iron. The stone 
arrow-head was used apparently by an 



40 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

earlier race, for most of those that we 
pick up are too heavy for the Indian ar- 
row. As children, we often played with 
them but never made practical use of 
them, unless for shooting fish. Indeed, 
the boy's arrow needs no separate head, 
but is merely sharpened at the point, or 
has a knob at the end, in which case it 
needs no feather. This is the safest and 
most convenient weapon for shooting in 
the woods, for it brings down all small 
birds and animals, and is readily recovered. 
When you have made your own bow 
and arrows, which you can easily do, 
the first thing to learn is the correct posi- 
tion for archery. Your attitude is that of 
one who is ready to jump from a spring- 
board. Then you must accustom your- 
self to the strength and spring of your 
bow, and it is well to know your arrows 
individually, their swiftness and peculiar- 
ities of flight. The highest success in 
marksmanship depends partly upon one's 
natural gifts, yet faithful practice must 



SLING -SHOT, BOW AND ARROW 41 

bring a good degree of satisfaction. The 
arrow does not alarm the game, is not dan- 
gerous to the hunter or his companions, 
and seems to be distinctly the boy's 
weapon. 

The exceptional Indian, with his sinew- 
backed, four-foot bow and bone-tipped 
arrow, was able to shoot clear through the 
body of a large animal, such as elk or buf- 
falo, unless he chanced to hit bone. All 
Indians could kill the largest animal with 
this convenient weapon, using the quick 
off-hand shot. You can learn it, too. 



VI 



PRIMITIVE MODES OF TRAPPING AND 
FISHING 

IT is boy's instinct to try to outwit 
and capture wild animals. This is as 
true of the outdoor boy among the 
whites as of the Indian boy. The point 
of interest in the Indian boy's way is that 
he depends more upon his own ingenuity 
and resources. While he is trying his 
grandfather's tricks, he often devises a 
better one. 

The first trapping that I ever did was 
mere childish play, engaged in by Indian 
boys of seven to ten years old. We snared 
wild mice by placing slip-nooses of horse- 
hair or fine sinew across their well-beaten 
thoroughfares. However, it is no easy 
thing to handle a mouse thus caught, for 
he can and will fight with his sharp teeth. 



TRAPPING AND FISHING 43 

We used to turn them loose upon some 
islet or in a mimic fort of clay or sand, to 
watch and play with. 

We also used the slip-knot for birds, 
especially crows and magpies, which may 
be attracted to the snares by a bait of 
fresh meat or corn. A few crows may be 
caught and hung up to drive their mates 
from the maize fields; or, by tying your 
solitary crow prisoner in a lonely place, 
he will summon all the rest to a pow-wow. 
This gives the boy, hidden near at hand, 
a fine opportunity to study their ways. 

We caught squirrels with our bowstrings, 
on the same principle as the horsehair 
noose, only in this case we stayed by the 
trap, and when the squirrel put his head 
through, we pulled on the string. This 
works well with ground squirrels, or gophers, 
and prairie dogs, although in the case of 
the latter we sometimes caught one of his 
house-mates, the screech-owl or rattle- 
snake, instead. 

The trapping of rabbits is a simple affair. 



44 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

A bended sapling is secured above a rabbit 
run in such a manner that when the victim 
runs his head in the noose, he is swung 
high in the air. Partridges are caught in 
the same fashion. 

A novel device for catching rabbits, in 
time of scarcity an important source of 
food supply, is to scatter large, sharp burrs 
along their runs. The burrs stick fast to 
their feet, they sit on their haunches to 
try to get them off, and so fall an easy 
prey to the boy hunters. 

Perhaps you would like to try the log 
deadfall. To make this effective trap, 
you need a good knife or a hatchet — 
nothing more. First drive into the ground 
four stakes about the size of a broom- 
handle, one pair on either side of a rabbit 
furrow, if this is the game you are after. 
Leave just enough room between each 
pair for a good-sized log, which you may 
lay directly across the path. The stakes 
serve as gate-posts to your trap, and on 
either side you build a slight barricade of 



TRAPPING AND FISHING 45 

brush. Next take two round pegs and 
cut off the ends squarely at about three 
inches long, or longer, according to your 
game; smooth a place for them at either 
end of the log between the stakes, and 
upon them balance a second log, which 
is partly supported by the two pairs of 
stakes as well. The aperture, just big 
enough for a rabbit to squeeze through, 
is crossed by several hairs from a horse's 
tail tied to the supporting pins. The un- 
suspecting victim springs along, knocks 
out the underpinning, and the log falls 
upon him. 

For larger game, such as the fox, mink, 
or fisher, two more logs are used, one end 
of each resting upon the upper log and 
the free end on the ground. This gives 
extra weight to the trap, which may be 
baited with a piece of meat, firmly attached 
to a string in such a way that when the 
animal tugs at the bait, the pins are pulled 
out and the trap falls. Indian men use 
this deadfall more than the boys. 



46 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

Our fishing was even more primitive, 
since we were not provided with hook and 
line. Sometimes we would select a con- 
venient water-hole and just below it build 
a rough dam of sticks and stones in a V 
shape, with the nose pointing down-stream. 
In the center of the dam we left a small 
opening, and just under it hung a cage 
or basket roughly woven of willows, pro- 
jecting slightly above the surface of the 
water. It was great sport to wade the 
brook from a point some distance above 
the dam, poking under the banks with 
long sticks and slapping the water with 
flat paddles, so as to frighten the fish and 
drive them into our trap. When the bas- 
ket was well filled, we shut off the opening 
in the dam with logs or stones, and pro- 
ceeded to catch the fish with our bare 
hands, snare, or spear them. 

If we did not care to go to the trouble 
of constructing a basket, we simply drove 
the fish into a deep hole with a rude dam 
below to prevent their escape, and caught 



TRAPPING AND FISHING 47 

them by one of the methods named, or 
by shooting with bow and arrow. But 
we were never allowed to take more than 
we really needed. If a surplus were caught, 
we usually freed them, or stored them in 
a small pond or spring where we could 
study and play with them at our leisure. 

The best time for taking large quantities 
of fish, which may be dried or smoked for 
future use, is in spawning time in early 
spring, when most fishes migrate into 
shallow water and are so sluggish that 
they may be knocked on the head with 
a club. At this season all kinds of wild 
hunters, crows, wolves, wildcats, minks, 
otters, come to the outlets of the lakes or 
the banks of the streams for food, and my 
people were not much behind them in this. 
The streams of my boyhood days were 
sometimes packed like a sardine can, and 
we boys have more than once opened a 
way and saved large numbers of fish from 
suffocation. 



VII 

HOW TO MAKE AND HANDLE INDIAN 
CANOES 

THERE are several different kinds 
of canoes made by Indians, of 
which the birch-bark canoe is the 
most generally available. The skin boats 
of the Esquimaux are larger and are skil- 
fully made, but we are considering here 
only the handiwork of our own Indians. 

The Plains Indians formerly used the 
buffalo-skin boat, called " bull-boat," but 
this is at best an emergency vessel, con- 
structed only when they were forced to 
cross a river too deep to ford and too wide 
to swim. It can scarcely be called a boat 
and might be termed a raft of skins, for 
it cannot be paddled like the true canoe. 
It is probably the crudest form of native 
craft. 



INDIAN CANOES 49 

The bull-boat is made upon a framework 
of willow withes roughly woven into an 
oblong shape, using long poles for the 
bottom to give the necessary firmness. 
Over this frame rawhides are stretched, 
and sewed with sinew. The seams are 
smeared with tallow or gum. Two or 
three long strings are attached to the 
front end. Having loaded the unwieldy 
vessel to its full capacity with household 
goods and children, one or two persons 
would stand in it with long poles to shove, 
while two or three others swam ahead, 
pulling it by the ropes, and sometimes 
others pushed from behind. The bull- 
boat was easily capsized, therefore every 
precaution was taken against accident to 
the precious cargo. As soon as the stream 
was crossed, it was taken apart, and the 
materials put to other uses. 

The dugout is much used where birch- 
bark is not obtainable. The tree, prefer- 
ably basswood, cottonwood, or soft maple, 
is selected with care, the trunk cut the 



50 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

proper length, twelve to sixteen feet, 
roughly shaped externally, and then hol- 
lowed out with much pains. Some of 
these boats are very serviceable, and many 
Indians think them swifter as well as more 
durable than the birch canoe; but it is not 
safe for a novice to undertake to handle 
one. It is very graceful in the hands of 
an expert Indian canoeist, but in some 
respects still retains the characteristics of 
a log in water. 

After the introduction of modern tools, 
the dugout became common throughout 
the Indian country, while the forest Indian 
alone still clung to the bark canoe. The 
white trapper, hunter, and explorer readily 
adopted the convenient dugout, but it 
has almost disappeared with these avoca- 
tions; yet the boy hunter or camper who 
has the requisite patience can easily make 
his own. 

The Indian makes his dugout by first 
hewing it roughly into the shape of a boat, 
then making crosswise cuts inside of the 



INDIAN CANOES 51 

trunk about a foot apart and splitting the 
wood lengthwise between these cuts until 
well hollowed out. After this he uses a 
small pickaxe to cut still deeper, until the 
walls are from four to six inches in thick- 
ness; finally he smooths the surface with 
a chisel. On the outside the final work is 
done with the draw-knife or ordinary 
knife. Bone knives and sharp clam-shells 
were used in primitive times. Fire may 
be used to dry and polish. 

Our Indian leaves his canoe to season 
sufficiently after making and before he 
launches it. He oils it instead of painting, 
as he has no paint. His paddles are shaped 
from any kind of light wood; always two 
in number, in order that he may have an 
extra one on hand. 

The bark canoe requires more skill and 
labor to make, and is much more orna- 
mental. In the first place, you need just 
the right kind of bark, and for this you 
must search through the woods. You 
must unbark many trees to obtain sheets 



52 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

of uniform thickness and elasticity, sound, 
and of the proper length and width. You 
will then temper and season them by 
laying them smoothly on the ground atop 
of one another, for some days or even 
weeks, every alternate one cross-grained, 
and weighted with stones or logs. Some 
bark is brittle and cracks easily, and this 
must be discarded. In early spring when 
the sap runs is the best time to gather 
bark. 

The next thing is to secure the materials 
for your framework. The wood used is 
the swamp or white cedar. The Indian 
cuts down slender, limbless ones and splits 
them into convenient lengths, then whit- 
tles them flat, like boards, about two to 
four inches wide, and seasons them before 
they are fully finished. The longest are 
used for bracing the canoe lengthwise, 
usually four to six on the bottom and two 
to three on each side, beside the rim. The 
shorter ones are laid crosswise for the ribs, 
a foot or more apart, tapering to either 



INDIAN CANOES 53 

end. The crosspieces are four in number. 
The Indian does not use these for seats, 
but sits in the bottom of the canoe. His 
canoe is from twelve to sixteen feet long, 
and somewhat wider than the one the 
white man makes. 

After collecting and preparing your ma- 
terial, drive stakes into the ground a foot 
apart in the exact shape of a canoe, and 
within this arrange your ribs and braces 
in the proper order, and tie them firmly 
together with the long, pliable roots of 
the swamp cedar or fir-tree. Sometimes 
strips of the inner layer of basswood bark 
are used for this purpose. When the frame 
of the canoe is complete, remove it, and 
lay the pieces of birch-bark, cut to the 
pattern and partially sewed together, within 
the pegged-out space. Allow a little for 
seams and fitting. Now lay the frame 
upon the covering, turn the latter up and 
fit it smoothly, as a dress is fitted to the 
manikin. An awl is used for making holes, 
and the dried cedar roots for sewing the 



54 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

bark. Turn the upper edges inward over 
the rim and sew them closely over and 
over. Lastly, take out, invert, and caulk 
all the seams well with boiling pitch out- 
side, and inside with sturgeon blubber or 
glue made by boiling horn or rawhide. 

Now your canoe is finished except for 
the decoration, which may consist of fig- 
ures drawn with the awl on the soft bark, 
or of paintings on bow and stern. The 
conventionalized figure of some water-fowl 
or fish, such as the swan, loon, or sturgeon, 
forms an appropriate emblem, and may 
also serve to name your craft. 



VIII 

THE CAMP SITE AND THE CARRY 

THE Indian exercises much ingenu- 
ity in selecting a suitable camp 
site. The first essentials are water 
and fuel; next comes sanitation and drain- 
age, protection from the elements and 
from ready discovery by possible foes; 
finally, beauty of situation. 

In midsummer, when Indians camp to- 
gether in great numbers, they invariably 
choose an extensive plateau, either on the 
secondary bank of a river or lake, or upon 
the level bottom lands of some large stream. 
At this time of the year the ground is dry, 
and there is no danger from floods. For 
the winter camp, they prefer a protected 
site in deep woods, near a large river or 
lake. 



56 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

In the case of a small party or a solitary- 
traveler, concealment is the first principle 
to be observed. Seclusion gives a sense 
of security, but one does not need to sac- 
rifice to it his aesthetic sense. The Indian 
is adept in selecting a most beautiful spot 
which commands all approaches, or a hid- 
den cove, guarded by curving shores, but 
very near a long-distance view which he 
keeps for his look-out. 

In the heat of the summer he often 
pitches his teepee upon a high, rocky point, 
to get away from the mosquitoes, but 
takes care that he is protected by other 
heights in such a way that any one ap- 
proaching must come very near before he 
discovers the camp. There are usually 
concealed approaches at the back and 
sides that afford a retreat in case of danger, 
and also serve as short cuts on his return 
from hunting or trapping. 

In his forest life, it is a matter of course 
with him to leave the teepee poles just as 
they stand, removing only the covering. 



CAMP SITE AND THE CARRY 57 

This is not only a matter of convenience, 
but it may cause the enemy to delay and 
manoeuver when they first sight the camp, 
thus giving him more time to retreat. 
Often the war-party discovers its mistake 
only after its intended victims have been 
gone for some hours. In case of a hasty 
retreat, the tent is left standing undis- 
turbed and the log fire burning within, 
so that the smoke may be maintained as 
long as possible after the departure of the 
inmates. This was a convenient ruse in 
the old days. 

It is best in camping to build small fires. 
This rule is observed by all Indians. Smoke 
may be seen at a great distance, especially 
on a clear day, and may be scented by 
the ordinary Indian a long way off, if the 
wind is right. Only in cold weather or 
for special purposes does the Indian in- 
dulge in a huge fire, and in no case does 
he ever leave it without seeing that it 
is entirely extinguished. If possible, he 
builds it upon the rocks, so that the ashes 



58 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

may be removed by wind and rain, and 
the gromid show no disfigurement. 

When a party camp together, the tents 
are pitched in a circle. The entrance to 
the circle is always toward the watering- 
place, and the council lodge is placed op- 
posite the entrance. If the party is a large 
one, there may be more than one circle, 
each band or clan having its own. 

When a camp is to break up, it is de- 
creed on the day before, the next camp 
site having already been explored and 
selected by men appointed for that pur- 
pose. One of these men may be named to 
guide the caravan to the chosen spot. 
The start is made before daybreak, and 
the packing done most expeditiously and 
in accordance with a well understood sys- 
tem, whether wagons, ponies, dogs, ca- 
noes, or men are used to transport belong- 
ings from place to place. There is nothing 
slovenly or haphazard about the Indian's 
domestic economy, and packing is an inter- 
esting and important feature of camp-craft. 



CAMP SITE AND THE CARRY 59 

In the first place, if you are to transport 
your own equipment, you must use the 
carrying strap, which consists of two strings, 
each four to five feet long, attached strongly 
to each end of the flat chest and head 
pieces, which are about two inches wide 
and long enough to encircle the head 
and shoulders. The goods are secured in 
a well-balanced roll or bundle, and this 
bundle should not be carried too low. 
Place it to suit your strength and comfort, 
and do not let it sway or swing. It may 
be advisable to drop it and rest now and 
then, if the load is heavy or the distance 
considerable. The Indians can easily carry 
in this manner all that is required for an 
outing. 

If you have packhorses, your goods 
must be made into bundles of convenient 
size and shape to balance one another on 
the two sides of the animal, and well se- 
cured with strong straps. Before the 
Indian obtained horses from the Spanish 
colonists, he traveled but a short day's 



60 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

journey, and carried with him only abso- 
lute necessities. All household effects had 
to be transported on the back, or by means 
of the dog travois. In fact, the travois 
was his primitive vehicle for many years 
after the advent of the horse. It consists 
merely of the tent poles and an oval basket, 
netted from strips of rawhide, which is 
also used as a door for the teepee. One 
pony can carry at most eight poles, four 
on a side. These are bound to the saddle, 
the tips forming an angle above the horse's 
head, and the free ends drag on the ground 
below the basket, which contains all the 
household goods, and sometimes young 
children. 



IX 

HOW TO BUILD WIGWAMS AND SHELTERS 

THE Indian family almost always 
carry with them the necessary 
equipment for making camp, but 
hunters and solitary travelers must im- 
provise something from the material at 
hand. The permanent village is composed 
of fairly substantial and rain-proof dwell- 
ings, called '^ teepees," " wigwams," and 
as many names as there are Indian lan- 
guages. Slighter shelters are quickly put 
up in an emergency. You will enjoy copy- 
ing some of these for your temporary or 
regular camp. 

A substantial wigwam is built of poles 
and bark in either six-sided or octagonal 
form. In my day, we used six poles cut 
ojBf at a fork about ten feet high. These 



6S 



INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 




are set two feet deep in the ground, eight 
to twelve feet apart, and joined by other 

poles resting on the 

forked ends. This 

forms the framework 

or hexagon. There 

are four more poles 

in the center, forming 

a square, and also 

Fig. 2. connected at the top, 

and in the middle of this little court a 

shallow hole is dug for a fireplace and 

lined with flat stones. 

The outer wall of the bark house is of 
split poles driven into the ground quite 
close together and neatly overlaid with 
the bark of the birch, elm, or basswood, 
in strips eight feet long by four to six feet 
wide. The trees should be peeled if possi- 
ble when the sap flows in spring, and the 
strips spread one upon another on the 
ground and weighted with stones, so as 
to dry smooth and flat. Between every 
two inner posts is an outside post to sup- 



WIGWAMS AND SHELTERS 



port the crosspieces, light saphngs which 
hold the bark in position. You can also 
tie these crosspieces to the split poles with 
strips of tough cedar bark. 

The roof is made in the same way of 
split poles covered with bark, the latter 
overlapping like shingles, so that it is 
water-proof. Over the fireplace is left an 
adjustable opening, to let out the smoke 
and let in light and air. The doorway is 
an opening in the 
middle of the south 
side, three feet by six, 
closed by a movable 
door of bark or raw- 
hide. A double row 
of posts with forked 
ends, about four feet 
long and the same distance apart, are 
driven two feet deep into the ground 
around three sides of the shack on the 
inside, connected with lighter poles and 
crosspieces, then covered with smooth bark 
firmly tied in place. Here are spread robes 




Fig. 3. 



64 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

and blankets for beds by night and a loun- 
ging-place by day. There should be suffi- 
cient space to move about between the 
bunks and the fireplace. 

This kind of shack may be thatched 
with coarse meadow grass, instead of bark, 
if it is more convenient to do so. Some 
tribes make them partly underground for 
warmth in winter, and when completely 
covered with sods or earth the hexagon 
becomes a " round house." 

The greater number of Indians, how- 
ever, built conical wigwams. If made of 
the materials I have described, it was cus- 
tomary to transport the rolls of bark from 
place to place; the poles were cut at each 
new camp or left in place at the old ones. 
Sometimes grass and rushes were braided 
into mats and used as coverings and car- 
pets. The Plains Indians used buffalo 
hides, nicely tanned and sewed together 
in semicircular shape. 

The skeleton of the conical teepee is 
made by tying three poles together near 



WIGWAMS AND SHELTERS 



65 




the top, and, when raised, separating them 

to form a tripod. Against this place in a 
circle as many poles as 
you think necessary to 
support your outer 
covering of cloth or 
thatch, usually twelve 
to fifteen. If of canvas, 
the covering is tied to 
Fig. 4. a pole and then raised 

and wrapped about the framework and 

secured with wooden pins to within about 

three feet of the ground. 

This space is left for 

the entrance and 

covered by a movable 

door, which may be 

merely a small blanket. 

If you have nothing 

better, a quantity of Fig. 5. 

dry grass will make you a warm bed. 
Suppose an Indian brave starts out 

alone, or with one companion, to lay in 

a supply of meat or to trap for furs. All 




66 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

the outfit he really needs is his knife and 
hatchet, bow and arrows, with perhaps 
a canoe, according to the country he has 
to traverse. He proceeds on foot to a 
good camping-place, and there builds his 
shelter of whatever material is most abun- 
dant. If in the woods, he would probably 
make it a " lean-to," which is constructed 
thus: 

In a dry and protected spot, find two 
trees the right distance apart and connect 
them by poles laid upon the forks of each 
at a height of about eight feet. This forms 
the support of your lean-to. Against this 
horizontal bar place small poles close to- 
gether, driving their ends in the ground, 
and forming an angle with about the slant 
of an ordinary roof. You can close in both 
sides, or not, as you choose. If you leave 
one open, build your fire opposite the 
entrance, thus making a cheerful and airy 
" open-face camp." Thatch from the 
ground up with overlapping rows of flat 
and thick evergreen boughs, and spread 



WIGWAMS AND SHELTERS 67 

several layers of the same for a springy 
and fragrant bed. You can make a sim- 
ilar shelter of grass or rushes, but in this 
case you must have the poles closer to- 
gether. 

The dome-shaped wigwam or '' wicki- 
up " is made in a few minutes almost any- 
where by sticking into the ground in a 
circle a sufficient number of limber poles, 
such as willow wands, to make it the size 
you need. Each pair of opposites is bent 
forward until they meet, and the ends 
interlocked and tied firmly. Use any con- 
venient material for the covering; an 
extra blanket will do. 

You can make any of these tent shelters 
with no tool save your hatchet or strong 
knife. The object is to protect yourself 
and your possessions from cold, wind, 
rain, and the encroachment of animals. 
As to the last, however, they are not likely 
to trouble you unless very hungry, and 
a fire is the best protection. He is the 
natural and true man who utilizes every- 



68 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

thing that comes in his way; a cave, a 
great hollow tree, even an overhanging 
rock serves for his temporary home, or 
he cheerfully spreads his bed under the 
starry night sky. 



FIRE WITHOUT MATCHES AND COOKING 
WITHOUT POTS 

IT is often of interest to boys to make 
a fire in the primitive way: by friction; 
perhaps to produce the " new fire " 
for some ceremonial occasion, or it may 
be to win honors as a scout. If a boy is 
fond of wilderness camping, it is possible 
that such knowledge may prove of vital 
importance to him some day, for even the 
experienced woodsman may be caught out 
without matches, or may get his matches 
wet. 

This is the way the Indians made fire 
before they obtained matches or flint and 
steel from the white man, and the way 
I have many times done it myself as a 
boy. For tools you need a block, a drill, 
a bow, a socket, and some tinder, dry 




^^^ 



70 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

punk, or cat-tail down, all of which you 

can make or find in the woods. 

For the first, take a smooth piece of pine 

board, cedar, basswood, cottonwood, or 

any other wood, but these are soft and 

easy to work. 
It should be 
a foot long by 

«■•:-•■■ -~.,...-..-^.-:^^.:fc..~.. ::::::z......... .h..:::..'^.)^rES)=s tWO inchcS 

wide and 
about half an 
inch in thick- 
ness. Make a 
round hole or 
Fig 6. pit in the 

center half through the board. From this 
hole cut a notch or groove to the edge of 
the board. 

For the drill, take a hard wood stick 
about a foot long, whittled down at both 
ends to fit the hole in block. A piece of 
wood two by six inches with a hole half- 
way through its thickness to fit the upper 
end of the drill forms the socket. 




FIRE WITHOUT MATCHES 



71 



If you have no bow with you, make one 
of any hmber stick two feet long, with a 
loose buckskin or other thong. 

Now put a little tinder — shredded birch- 
bark or dry pine-needles — along the groove 
in your block and especially at its upper 
end. Adjust 
your fi r e- 
maker, wind 
the bowstring 
once about 
the drill, place 
a foot on each 
end of the 
block while 
your left hand 
supports and 
presses down 
on the socket, and your right saws with 
the bowstring, causing the drill to revolve 
rapidly in the hole. This friction in time 
produces smoke and then sparks, which, 
when you blow upon them, ignite the tinder. 
It is then only a matter of sufficient dry 




72 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

bark and kindling to make a good fire. 
You cannot fail after a little practice, if 
you follow directions carefully. Mr. Seton's 
record time for making fire in this way 
is thirty-one seconds, but it will be more 
likely to take you from one to three min- 
utes, even after you have experimented 
a Httle. 

The Indian or expert woodsman is never 
at a loss for dry fire material in the wettest 
woods. He knows how to look for the 
inside bark of the birch and the inside of 
dead stumps and logs; and a good fire, 
once kindled, will burn on even under dis- 
couraging circumstances. 

Indian methods of cookery are of inter- 
est in camp, more particularly if the com- 
mon utensils have been dispensed with 
as too cumbersome to carry. Neither 
pots, pans, nor dishes are essential to a 
good meal in the woods. Berries, some 
roots, smoked or sun-dried meats may 
be eaten raw, also eggs, though the latter 
are preferred cooked by the Indian. He 



FIRE WITHOUT MATCHES 73 

is especially fond of turtle eggs, which 
are buried in the sand along the lake 
shores and may be found by searching 
for them with a pole in the spring. 

The simplest method of cooking thin 
pieces of meat is by broiling over a bed 
of live coals, upon a long-handled pronged 
stick or fork of green wood. The meat is 
turned as often as necessary and is per- 
fectly done in a few minutes. 

Roasting is done by spitting your haunch 
of venison or other large piece of meat 
upon a stick two to four feet long and 
sharpened at both ends. This may be 
thrust into the ground at the right dis- 
tance from the blaze and turned occasion- 
ally, or suspended over the fire from a 
cross-bar of green wood by a hooked stick, 
or " planked " against a flat rock inclined 
toward a hot fire. 

The only method of boiling known to 
the Indian before the white man came 
with iron and copper kettles was crude 
but very ingenious, and is known as '' stone- 



74 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

boiling." We dug a hole in which we 
placed a dozen or more round stones of 
medium size, and over these we built a 
good fire. About the hole in a square 
we drove four forked sticks of green wood, 
and from the^e suspended a square piece 
of tripe or rawhide, cutting a small hole 
in each corner to admit the prong of the 
support. This bag-kettle was then half 
filled with water. The heat of the fire soon 
contracted it, and from time to time a red- 
hot stone was lifted from the fire and 
dropped into the water by means of two 
sticks. When the water boiled, we put in 
a small piece of meat, and by adding now 
and then another piece and a hot stone, 
and taking out the meat as fast as cooked, 
a savory boil was produced. We liked 
starchy roots or spicy leaves boiled with 
our meat, and of these we had a variety 
to choose from. We had also wild rice 
and hulled corn, but no bread. 

When you wish to hunt or to leave camp 
for any length of time while your meal is 



FIRE WITHOUT MATCHES 75 

cooking, none of these methods will do, 
and you had better resort to casing the 
food in wet clay and burying fairly deep 
in ashes or sand under a good fire. If you 
have birds it is only necessary to wet the 
feathers thoroughly before burying them, 
and they will come out juicy and delicious 
under a black coat that peels off like the 
skin of an onion. Fish cooks perfectly 
in this manner, as do potatoes, green corn, 
shell fish — in fact, almost anything. It 
should be done in two or three hours, but 
you may leave it all day if necessary with- 
out harm. 

Every camper or Boy Scout should 
familiarize himself with all the edible roots, 
herbs, fruits, and fungi in his locality. 
Lives have been saved by this knowledge, 
especially in the north woods. Lichens 
and the inner bark of certain trees are 
" famine foods," eaten by Indian and 
white man when hunger presses and no 
other food is to be found. 

The Indian method of preserving fresh 



76 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

meat in summer by '' jerking," or cutting 
in thin strips and drying on poles in the 
sun (no salt being needed), is useful only 
on the high central plains where the air 
is dry. All kinds of berries and wild fruits 
are easily sun-dried for future use. 

The " cache," an Indian custom es- 
tensively copied by white hunters and 
trappers, is the concealment of reserve 
stores of food, usually in a hole in the 
ground, protected by an inner wrapping 
of bark or rawhide. The mouth of the 
" cache " is well hidden by building a 
fire over it, or by covering with rocks, 
brush, dry leaves, or sand, according to 
the locality. 



XI 



HOW TO MAKE AND FOLLOW A BLAZED 
TRAIL 

THE blazed trail is especially de- 
signed for those who travel in the 
deep woods, where these simple 
guide-posts are necessary at times, if only 
for temporary use. The Indian hunter 
sometimes finds himself with a limited 
time in which to provide his winter's sup- 
ply of meat, before the opening of the 
trapping season. In such an event, he 
would not take time to carry all his game 
home, but would blaze connecting trails 
to where he had killed and hung up the 
different animals, and a direct road home. 
There is also the trapper's trail, the regu- 
lar path between established camps, and 
the concealed or secret blazed trail. We 



78 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

shall consider each of these varieties in 
order. 

The blazed trail meant for general use 
— the public highway, as it were — may 
not always be the shortest road, but it 
will be the easiest and most convenient. 
You may blaze such a trail to the moun- 
tain-top for the finest view, or to your 
cabin in the woods. The blazes on the 
trees will be obvious and near together, 
about three inches long and three feet 
from the ground. At every turn a sapling 
is felled, at the same height as the blaze, 
the felled top hanging on its stump and 
pointing in the desired direction. 

The game trail differs from the above 
in several respects. The blazes are smaller 
and are about five feet high; they are also 
further apart — about twenty to twenty- 
five paces. At each turn the hack is deeper, 
and if to the left, it is made on the left 
side of the tree, if to the right, on the right 
side. The blazes are more open to view 
when coming from the camp, as when the 



THE BLAZED TRAIL 79 

scout has gone over it once, he can always 
follow it back home. An Indian game 
trail is very indistinct to one who is not 
looking for it, and even then it requires 
training to follow it readily. To one who 
is a thoroughly competent woodsman, each 
mark is a real blaze of light, quite unmis- 
takable. 

If you wish to blaze a trail correctly, 
you must place your mark accurately on 
the right tree and on the right side of the 
tree. You should not disfigure the trees, 
and you will not, if you do your work as 
well as the Indian. If you go about gash- 
ing them indiscriminately, your work will 
be an eyesore, and besides, everybody 
will know your trail. It should be just 
enough guide for your friends, neatly done, 
and courting no unnecessary publicity. 

The trapper's trail is one more degree 
nearer a concealed blaze. It is blazed on 
each noteworthy tree, twenty to thirty 
paces apart, and even higher than the 
game trail. At a point opposite the first 



80 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

trap, there is a peculiar hack, a double 
hack, or a twig clipped, varying with the 
code of the individual. In any case, you 
are directed toward the lake shore or river 
bank, where you find an upright stick 
broken off two feet from the ground and 
bent over until it touches the water. This 
means the trap is in the water. If the 
broken part does not reach the water, it 
means look for it on shore, and if a birch- 
bark ring is added, it means the trap is 
in a hole. At each point a certain sign 
leads you approximately near the trap, 
where you get a hint as to its closer where- 
abouts. 

This kind of trail does not begin at the 
camp, but at a point which may be orally 
described, in case the trapper is unable 
to visit his traps and must send his wife 
or some member of his family. He then 
entrusts the messenger with his personal 
code, which sometimes includes the sign 
for the animal he is trapping. 

The concealed blaze is used by a party 



THE BLAZED TRAIL 81 

on the war-path, so that another war- 
party of the same tribe may overtake 
them or discover their camp. It was not 
usual to blaze a war-path unless another 
party was likely to follow. In such a con- 
tingency, the first party leaves an occa- 
sional blaze high up on the tree and point- 
ing in the direction in which they are trav- 
ehng. Such blazes are only made at well- 
known points and are looked for by those 
who come after. When the high blaze is 
found, other information is sought for, 
which may be given by means of signs 
or hieroglyphics in a concealed place. 

If a party of boys are out for a hike 
over roads which are not well known, and 
there are stragglers, the leader may indi- 
cate the trail by Indian signs. At the 
cross-roads he may tie a bunch of grass to 
a low branch on the right side of the road 
he takes. If he leaves the path entirely, 
he must stick up a rod with a knot of grass 
tied to the top, bending it in the right di- 
rection. If at any point he desires to re- 



82 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

turn and meet the others, he breaks two 
opposite twigs toward one another, as a 
sign in case he misses them. If he wishes 
his party to camp there, he draws a circle 
on the ground. This system is used a 
great deal by the Indians when two or 
three families are roving together in the 
deep woods, hunting or trapping game. 
When there is only one family, and they 
are within the danger-line from tribal 
enemies, the hunter uses a concealed blaze 
for his wife to follow, and he may adopt 
a special code whose meaning is known 
to no one but the two. When he wishes 
to be particularly obscure, he makes his 
blaze inside a group of trees. It is a right- 
angled gash pointing straight to the next 
blaze. 

I remember that I was once instructed 
to follow a hunter's trail, together with 
several other boys. We were in the coun- 
try of the Crees, who were at war with us; 
but game was abundant, and there was 
no better location, therefore our hunters 



THE BLAZED TRAIL 8S 

took extra chances of danger. However, 
every precaution was observed. 

One of our men had killed a moose late 
in the afternoon, and on the next morning 
we boys were instructed to find it and 
bring home the meat. The first blaze was 
perhaps half a mile from our camp, on the 
inside of one of four large birch trees. 
Above the blaze were two hacks, and above 
this the mark of an arrow-head. This 
meant to follow the blaze two hundred 
paces in the direction of the arrow, and 
then search for another mark. The next 
arrow pointed diagonally toward the lake, 
and two hundred paces further we came 
out upon the lake shore. We followed the 
shore to a conspicuous tree, upon the bark 
of which we discovered a small blaze and 
the figure of an animal. About fifty paces 
from this last blaze, we found the moose. 

In a prairie country, where there are 
no trees, stones are piled upon the hills 
or buttes in a manner to give information 
to those who come after. Many of these 



84 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

large boulders or cone-shaped heaps of 
stones were discovered in the prairie states 
when settlement was made, and some well- 
known ones have been preserved for many 
years as historic landmarks. 

We Indians never stand boldly out upon 
a hilltop without having first lain flat and 
surveyed the country from a concealed 
position to see that no danger is in sight. 
We then place the stones so as to convey 
intelligence to our friends. One is placed 
with the apex pointing in the direction 
in which the traveler is going, and several 
more behind the main pile show from 
whence he came. If he has seen signs of 
the enemy, he places two small stones on 
either side of the central stone. If he can- 
not go further, he puts these in front of 
the central one, meaning an obstacle in 
the path, or reverses the three on the op- 
posite side, meaning that he will return. 
An old stone pile may be used again and 
again by slightly displacing the stones. 
This is the prairie " blazed trail." 



XII 

INDIAN SIGNALS IN CAMP AND FIELD 

IN the early and free life of the North 
American Indian, he was constantly 
in motion, the various bands of each 
tribe covering a large area during the year. 
The hunters, travelers, and war-parties 
of these widely scattered bands had their 
well-known codes of signals in the field 
and on the trail, by means of which it was 
possible to communicate from a distance. 
The methods in common use were the 
smoke, mirror, and blanket signals, all 
of which could be more readily practiced 
by the Plains Indians than by those of 
the woods, for obvious reasons. 

There are three distinct kinds of intelli- 
gence given in this manner, which may be 
thus described: First, warning of danger; 



86 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

second, sighting of game; third, general 
news of importance from another tribe 
or village. Any person who happens to 
be in the field and discovers the approach 
of danger must instantly signal a warning 
by any means in his power. If he is in full 
view of the camp or of the individual 
whom he desires to reach, the blanket 
method is used. 

A blanket or other article of clothing 
tightly rolled and held with outstretched 
arms so as to form, with the body, a cross 
or a capital T, is the primary danger-signal. 
If the person signaling runs to and fro, 
it means that the danger is approaching, 
and if, in addition to these, the blanket 
is thrown horizontally, it is a call for res- 
cue or signal of immediate distress. 

When game is sighted, the game scout 
runs to and fro; that means a small herd 
of game, especially buffalo. If he runs 
in a circle, tossing up his blanket, it denotes 
a large herd. If he runs back and forth 
with blanket trailing behind, it indicates 



INDL4N SIGNALS 87 

bad news. The blanket held straight 
above the head signiiBes important tidings 
from a distance. 

Since the mirror came into use among 
us, each warrior carries with him a small 
round reflector. With this it is easy to 
flash a signal into the camp or toward the 
surrounding hills, upon which it is cus- 
tomary to keep a continual lookout. One 
long flash is the signal for attention, and 
as soon as it is answered, you may give 
the message to be transmitted. One short 
flash means that game is in sight. Two 
short flashes means the enemy is in sight. 
Two short flashes followed by one long 
one is a call for rescue. Two short flashes 
and one long followed by two more short 
flashes means the danger is over. Four 
short flashes signifies a meeting with a 
stranger or news from a distance. 

The smoke signal is resorted to when 
no other could be employed, on account 
of distance or obstacles in the way, such 
as hills or forest. As this is a long-distance 



88 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

signal, the codes vary among different 
tribes, so that the intelHgenee conveyed 
may not be of equal advantage to the foe. 
Among the Sioux, it was often used by 
war-parties, announcing their return and 
giving news of success or failure; the num- 
ber of scalps or horses taken might also 
be indicated. 

To make this signal, you must build a 
brisk fire upon some convenient knoll, 
and as soon as it is burning freely, smother 
it with coarse green grass, also heap earth 
around it so that the smoke may be dense 
and closely confined. When it has burned 
long enough to gain attention, check 
the smoke for an instant by holding a 
blanket over the fire and then withdrawing 
it, causing a succession of short puffs, 
with intervals between. To avoid con- 
fusion, it will be well to adopt the code 
given above for mirror flashes. At night, 
a signal fire is sometimes kindled. Since 
fire is not always easy to control single- 
handed, the Indian is careful to turn up 



INDIAN SIGNALS 89 

the earth before he builds his fire, and to 
have an abundance of green grass at hand, 
not only to produce a sufficient volume 
of smoke, but to put the fire out if neces- 
sary. 

The drum is used for home communica- 
tions. When four measured blows are 
struck, followed by many short ones, it 
is a call to the council. If every warrior 
is not present at the second signal, given 
a few minutes after the first, the Indian 
" soldiers " or police will come after the 
absentees. At all dances, the drum is 
used to call the dancers together, the third 
call being accompanied by yelps and the 
fourth by a real burst of war-whoops. 
There is a curious variation in the call 
to the scalp dance, which is something 
like skipping a stone on new ice. It begins 
in slow time, with each successive beat 
shorter, and ending in a mere roll. 

There are also many signal calls exe- 
cuted by the voice alone, such as the call 
to war, the journey and hunting halloos, 



90 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

the good deed calls, and other yodels or 
musical shouts which are very effective 
and may be heard at a considerable dis- 
tance. 



XIII 

AN INDIAN boy's SPORTS 

GAMES with arrows are the most 
popular Indian sports. If you are 
camping in the woods, you may 
hke to play the " Tree Game." 

About a dozen blunt or knob-headed 
arrows are shot up into the branches of a 
large, wide-spreading tree, in such a man- 
ner that they are all caught and hang 
there in many different positions. Then, 
at a given signal, the boys begin to shoot 
them down. Every arrow that a boy 
brings down is his; each one of his own 
that gets lodged becomes a '' prize arrow " 
for the others to shoot at. Now and then 
an arrow hugs the limb so closely that it 
can hardly be seen; eventually all the boys 
aim at this one, and if they are so unlucky 



92 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

as to lose their own arrows without bring- 
ing it down, the " tree wins." 

Wand games are very simple and are 
played by the younger boys. The wands 
are from four to six feet long and as big 
round as a man's little finger. They are 
merely peeled switches of any kind of 
shrub, usually the common red willow. 
To decorate in Indian fashion, you must 
take off with a sharp knife a long strip 
of bark; then, having scraped off all the 
rest, wind your ribbon of bark spirally 
round the peeled wand. After fastening 
each end securely, hold it over a smudge 
fire until it is well smoked. Then remove 
the strip and you will find a spiral of white 
against the deep yellow of the uncovered 
wood. Sometimes two strips are wound 
in opposite directions, leaving yellow dia- 
monds bordered with white. 

The wand is pitched and made to strike 
at the start upon an inclined mound or a 
low horizontal bar, from which it should 
bound with much force and sail through 



AN INDIAN BOY'S SPORTS 93 

the air like an arrow, sometimes as far as 
fifty yards. A simple way to give it mo- 
mentum is to raise the left foot as high 
as the right knee, rest the side of the wand 
against the left instep and propel it vig- 
orously. 

From two to a dozen boys choose sides. 
The side winning the toss sends the first 
wand, and the other side follows, each 
boy playing in turn for as long as they 
fail to pass the first. When they succeed 
in passing it, the first party tries again, 
and the game continues until one side has 
spent all its wands, which are gathered 
up by the winners. Enthusiastic partisans 
indulge in cheering, dancing and singing 
to encourage their friends and confuse 
and dishearten the opposite party, but 
are not allowed to interfere in any way 
with the players. 

Wand games are played properly in the 
summer-time; their winter substitutes are 
the " snow-snake " and '' ground arrow." 
The former is used only on fresh snow. 



94 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

It is a flat stick five feet long and about 
an inch and a half wide at the widest point, 
gradually tapering to half that width at 
the '' tail " end. The head and neck curve 
slightly upward and are painted to look 
as much like those of a snake as possible; 
the body of the wand is polished and hard- 
ened by fire. The Indian boy hurls this 
mimic serpent into the loose, light snow. 




Fig. 8. 

where it disappears, to appear again some 
distance off; again it dives beneath the 
surface only to come up again, somewhat 
like skipping a stone on water. The winner 
is he who can make it travel farthest. 

Ground arrows are of two kinds. One 
kind, called *' mecha," is made of the 
short ribs of buffalo or beef cattle. The 
rib is cut off four inches from the free end, 
and two small holes bored, into which 



AN INDIAN BOY'S SPORTS 95 

sticks, the size of a lead-pencil and about 
a foot in length, are tightly inserted. The 
end of each is feathered like an arrow, and 
they spread out so that the feathered 
shafts are perhaps nine inches apart. The 
whole looks much like the white boy's 
shuttlecock. 

This " mecha " is grasped firmly be- 
tween the projecting shafts, and thrown 
against a little mound the size of a pillow, 
made of snow dampened and packed solidly. 
From this it rebounds, sails off like a bird, 
strikes the hard crust to bound up again 
and again, and finally crawls along like a 
wounded animal. The goal, which is called 
the " blanket goal," is an oblong about 
six by ten paces in size, drawn on the snow 
at some fifty yards' distance. Lengthwise 
of this oblong are drawn six lines, with 
seven spaces between. The outer spaces 
count two, the next four, the next eight, 
and the center space counts sixteen, if 
your " mecha " hits it in one throw. Any 
number may play the game. 



96 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

The other kind of ground arrow, called 
" matka," is shaped hke an arrow. It is 
made of hard wood in one piece, and is 
about two feet long with a cone-shaped 



O 



Fig. 9. 



head, burnt and polished to look like horn. 
The shaft must be limber, and carries a 
small tuft of feathers to guide it in its 
flight. Another arrow shows an attached 



<c> 



Fig. 10. 

head of elk or buffalo horn, which is better 
than wood. 

The boys throw this in the same manner 
as the '' mecha," but the course is laid 
out more elaborately, with obstacles, such 
as ravines and small hillocks, and a series 
of five rings each ten feet in diameter, 
composed of five concentric circles with a 
" bull's-eye " in the center. Beside each 



AN INDIAN BOY'S SPORTS 97 

ring there is a snow mound from which 
to propel the arrow. 

The game is in some ways Hke golf, and 
may be played individually or by sides, 
each player having two strokes in which 
to reach the next ring, the first a distance 
throw and the second a push or shove in 
the direction of the ring. The outer circle 
counts one, and each inner circle doubles 
the count, the bull's-eye counting thirty- 
two. All the players play in turn, starting 
from the snow mound nearest the ring 
where their arrows lie at the beginning of 
each round. The score is added at the 
close of the game, the boy or team with 
the highest number of points being the 
winner. 

This is perhaps the most popular and 
exciting winter sport for Indian boys ten 
years of age and upward. Sometimes they 
send the arrow flying a hundred yards 
before touching the ground, and half as 
far again at the first rebound, after which 
it continues for several shorter flights. 



98 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

The rings are two hundred to three hun- 
dred yards apart for young men, or half 
that distance for small boys; the game 
may be played on snow-covered lakes or 
rivers as well as in the open country. 



XIV 

A WINTER MASQUE 

AMONG the really absorbing amuse- 
ments of Indian boys, none sur- 
pass the games played with tops, 
which with us are in season in the winter 
only. The mere spinning of a top would 
soon become tiresome; it is the various and 
ingenious stunts that keep the interest 
alive. 

Then, too, each boy makes his own top 
of every available kind of wood, as well 
as of horn and bone, and studies its pecul- 
iar defects or advantages for the work in 
hand, so thoroughly that it comes to have 
for him a kind of personality. He whittles 
it to a nicety in the regular top shape or 
any variation of it that he chooses, so 
long as he can coax and whip it into spin- 



100 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

ning and humming and singing. He has 
a stick about a foot long and as big as 
your thumb; sometimes one end is grooved 
so that he can pick up the top while spin- 
ning. To this stick he ties two or three 
deer- skin thongs of equal length, making 
a top whip with which he performs some 
interesting stunts and plays many amu- 
sing games. 

There is much artistic taste among our 
people. Some decorate their tops in stripes, 
much like a barber's pole; others with 
totem paintings; but perhaps the cleverest 
boy is he who can carve as well as paint. 
One will carve a tiny toad sitting atop 
his spinner; another a turtle; but the boy 
who is quick enough to copy the bumble- 
bee — hum and all — he is a hero ! When 
he proudly whips his black buffalo-horn 
spinner, he holds the center of the stage, 
while every other boy must pause for a 
minute to regard him with envy. 

Sometimes a boy will playfully address 
his top, telling it to sing the bear song, or 



A WINTER MASQUE 101 

imitate the lowing of the buffalo bull, at 
the same time whipping it so vigorously 
and in such fashion that it seems really 
to give a semblance of the required imita- 
tion! But it is no ordinary bashful boy 
who does these things; it is the roguish 
young humorist and actor of the tribe. 

When the chiefs selected for our field- 
day on the ice announce the date, every 
boy is ready. The chief of each side brings 
his forces together for a final test of skill, 
and there is no lack of spectators. In the 
first place, each displays his peculiar man- 
ufactures, priding himself much upon orig- 
inality of design and careful workmanship. 
Then there are trials of speed, and trials 
of duration, and finally the more difficult 
stunts, such as transferring the top in the 
spoon end of the whip without interrupt- 
ing its dance, or whipping it under a light 
covering of snow, or along an obstacle 
course. Perhaps no one save an Indian 
could make a bear cub whip a spinning- 
top, holding the whip handle in his mouth, 



102 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

as I have seen it done on these field-days. 
Some of the boys impersonate old men, 
and some genuine grandfathers are ad- 
mitted to add to the fun. There is a par- 
ticular song of the top, and its spinning 
is said by us to be symbolic of the dance 
of life. 

A white boy feels himself unfortunate 
when Santa Claus fails to leave at his 
home a pair of club skates or a swift " flex- 
ible flyer." Still more unfortunate is he 
who has no hill or pond or river near for 
coasting and skating. In my day we were 
independent of all save natural features; 
no policeman to interfere with our fun, 
no fences or trespass signs — and no shops 
or indulgent fathers to purchase our equip- 
ment! The trees might be snapping, even 
bursting open with the severe cold, the 
ice on the lakes thundering like the can- 
nonade of a distant battle, but, nothing 
daunted, we boys would sally forth in our 
warm buffalo calf -skin robes, well belted 
around the middle, and moccasins stuffed 



A WINTER MASQUE 103 

with hair, defying the weather. Our coast- 
ers were made of the longest and largest 
ribs of the buffalo bull, tightly bound to- 
gether with strong rawhide thongs, and 
held in position with three flat sticks an 
inch or two wide and a little longer than 
the width of the sled. The shape was some- 
thing like the body of a cutter; it was lined 
neatly with buffalo hide, and lariats were 
tied to the curved end as you tie your 
ropes. We generally coasted standing 
erect, and the narrower ones were used 
as skees, with a pole to balance, upon 
which we sped like lightning down the 
steep hills amid a din of yells, whoops, 
and laughter. Other skees were made of 
basswood or elm bark, stiffened with raw- 
hide or doubled, always with the slippery 
inner side against the snow. In the very 
old days there were a kind of skates of 
peculiar workmanship, made of bones and 
tusks of animals. 

The winter pageant or winter masque 
on the ice was the crowning event, and 



104 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

here the older people came to realize how 
closely they had been watched and studied 
by their children. Your Indian boy is a 
bom mimic and impersonator, and this 
was his day. The first intimation of the 
festivity was given by their crier or herald, 
who entered the camp picturesquely at- 
tired, riding on a tame buffalo calf or a 
big Esquimo dog, announcing the coming 
of the " old folks " or the " first people." 
When the whole village had poured 
forth from their wigwams in eager expecta- 
tion, the head of the procession emerged 
from the forest upon the field of ice. It 
was an imposing sight. The first clan, 
perhaps, would be led by a buffalo bull 
walking upright and holding his pipe in 
his hands like a man. Immediately be- 
hind him were twelve wise men walking 
abreast, each wearing a buffalo headdress 
and carrying a long staff with a buffalo- 
tail tassel. They were followed by the 
people of the clan, all clad in hairy skins, 
some accompanied by tame coyotes, or 



A WINTER MASQUE 105 

dragging old-time travois. Here and there, 
boys in groups were playing their favorite 
games or fluting and yodeling, while the 
groups of pretty girls walked more de- 
murely. 

The wolf, elk, and bear clans were sim- 
ilarly represented, and the odd characters 
of ancient legend were all present: Unk- 
tomee the tricky one with his many aliases; 
Heyoka the contrary one, who always 
says the reverse of what he means, and 
paints a face or mask on the back of his 
head so that he seems to be walking back- 
ward. Even his dog wears the head of a 
calf at his rear end, and a tail fixed on the 
end of his nose. One figure is dressed all 
in white and moves with a whirling mo- 
tion, all the time imitating the humming 
of a top. Even the wild pets join in the 
fun, and I have heard a tame crow, which 
had been taught a few simple words, cry- 
ing out quite naturally as he hopped along: 
"Wachee po! wachee po! " (Dance, 
friends, dance!) 



XV 



AN INDIAN girl's SPORTS 

CONTRARY to the popular opinion, 
our Indian girls and women are 
not mere drudges, but true fem- 
inine athletes, almost as alert as the men, 
and frequently even more muscular. 

The favorite outdoor sport of the plains- 
women from remote times is called by 
them '' tap-kap-see-cha," the original form 
of " field hockey." Any level prairie ground 
is suited to the game, which is especially 
exciting when it is engaged in by two neigh- 
boring camps. The goals are usually two 
hundred yards apart, and the width of the 
ground about twenty feet. Twenty -five 
to fifty or more contestants may play on 
each side, but not all at once. They are 
placed in groups or relays, each group not 



AN INDIAN GIRL'S SPORTS 107 

to go beyond its allotted field. When a 
ball crosses the line, it belongs to the next 
group. Thus, if there are fifty players on 
a side, each group of ten runs only forty 
yards. 

The ball, which is of buckskin, about 
as large as a baseball, but softer, is tossed 
up with a war-whoop, midway between 
the goals. Each side then strives to send 
it on with their hooked sticks toward the 
opposing goal. It may either be kept roll- 
ing along the ground, or driven through 
the air; and the battle continues until one 
side or the other succeeds in sending it 
over the enemy's goal. The distinctive 
features of the Indian game are the appor- 
tionment of the field to designated groups 
of players, and the large number taking 
part, thus reducing the confusion and 
chances of accident while ensuring an 
exceedingly picturesque and lively spec- 
tacle. 

*' Pas-16-han " is played in smaller groups 
with a wand about eight feet long, heavy 



108 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

at the forward end, which is shaped some- 
what Hke the head of a snake, and taper- 
ing gently to about the size of a man's 
finger. Sometimes the head is made of 
buffalo, elk, or deer's horn. The girls 
hold it between the thumb, middle, and 
ring fingers, while the index finger presses 
against the end. The arm is closely bent 
at the elbow and held at right angles to 
the body, bringing the half-opened hand 
directly over the shoulder, and the wand 
is then hurled with all the strength of the 
player's arm, two or three forward steps 
being taken at the same time. The head 
hits the ground slantwise, and the body 
slides and wriggles after it much like a 
fleeing snake. The immediate object of 
the girls, who throw in turn, is to see who 
can make it go furthest, but grace and 
swiftness of flight are also points to be 
considered. 

This simple sport brings into use prac- 
tically all the muscles that are required to 
throw a baseball, and helps much to make 



AN INDIAN GIRL'S SPORTS 109 

the girls supple and agile. It is easier to 
play in winter and late fall, as the wands 
travel much faster over crusty snow or 
hard-trampled ground. 

The Minnesota Sioux used to play a 
very pretty aquatic game when their homes 
were in that beautiful lake country. It 
was really the original Indian game of 
lacrosse played in birch-bark canoes, and 
might be christened " water lacrosse " or 
" canoe ball." 

The ball was twice as large as the one 
the men used on land; I should say a little 
larger than a baseball, but much lighter 
in weight. The sticks used by the Sioux 
women were about like the ordinary la- 
crosse stick, only a foot longer and with 
twice as large a pocket. This pocket is 
made of vegetable fiber so that the wet 
does not stretch it, and when the ball is 
in it, barely one-third shows above the rim. 

Ten to twenty girls may play on a side, 
two to each canoe. We will designate 
them "ball-player" and "canoeist." The 



110 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

latter must devote herself entirely to her 
canoe and that of her opponent. She may 
not touch the ball nor interfere with the 
opposing ball-player, but she may use all 
her skill to obstruct the opposing canoe, 
and if her partner secures the ball, it is 
her duty to guard against being thus ob- 
structed. In a skirmish she must be skil- 
ful and alert to balance her craft. No 
canoeist may ram her opponent head on, 
and if she does so, the game is given to the 
other side. 

The ball-player must throw the ball 
to one of her own side if possible. Here 
again special skill is required, for it is 
nearly as difficult as making a successful 
" forward pass." However, she has the 
privilege of passing it in any direction to 
one of her own players. It is not allowable 
to hit the ball while in the water. Each 
player may carry it on toward her oppo- 
nent's goal so long as her canoe is not ob- 
structed, but as soon as her bows are 
crossed, she must pass it on. Thus the 



AN INDIAN GIRL'S SPORTS 111 

struggle continues until the ball either 
goes out of bounds, or passes over one of 
the goals. The field is about a hundred 
yards long by fifty wide. If the ball goes 
out of bounds, the referee must toss it up 
as at the beginning, in the middle of the 
field between two opposing canoes, the 
canoeists placing the canoes parallel to 
each other, while the players struggle for 
the possession of the ball. Meanwhile, 
the other players occupy strategic points 
and hold themselves ready to receive it. 
In this feminine game, it is forbidden 
to throw the ball with a full arm swing; 
it must be lobbed or tossed with the fore- 
arm only, to avoid risk of injury to the 
players. It develops much nicety of phys- 
ical equilibrium, and might be successfully 
revived in a summer camp by girls who 
are good swimmers. They would do well 
to wear bathing-suits and be fully pre- 
pared for the chances of an upset. In our 
day, the winners were entertained by the 
conquered side at a simple feast. 



XVI 

INDIAN NAMES AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE 

AS you all know, we Indians had no 
books; our history and traditions 
were orally preserved. The picto- 
graph cut into a rock or tree, or painted 
upon a buffalo-skin tent, was our only 
record of current or past events. More- 
over, we had no family names, so that a 
boy's name did not indicate his parentage. 
Under such circumstances, one should have 
a striking cognomen in order to be readily 
identified. 

The Sioux had three classes of names; 
first, birth names; second, honor or public 
names; third, nicknames. The first indi- 
cated the order in which children were 
born into the family; as " Chaskay," first- 
born son, " Wenonah," first-born daugh- 



INDIAN NAMES 113 

ter, and so on to the fifth child, who was 
presumed to be the last. There were a few 
who carried this childhood name through 
life. 

The nickname usually records some hu- 
morous act or odd characteristic of the 
boy or man. It is seldom a flattering one. 
There is an imaginary Indian personage 
called *'Wink'tah," who is supposed to 
be ever on the watch for an excuse to coin 
a ridiculous or insinuating name, and such 
a one will travel like a prairie fire before 
its owner is aware of it. 

It has been written by white men that 
an Indian child is called after the first 
noticeable thing its mother sees after its 
birth. This is not so as a rule, though it 
is possible such cases may have occurred. 
Again, it has been declared that some 
event occurring near the child's birth 
establishes its name. This occasionally 
happens, but only when the event is of 
unusual importance. 

The child's " honor name " is properly 



114 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

conferred by the clan medicine-man at a 
public ceremony, some time after the 
child is able to walk. Such an Indian 
christening is announced by the herald, 
a feast made, and gifts presented to the 
poor of the tribe, in honor of the occasion. 
These needy old people in their turn go 
away singing the praises of the child by 
his new name. 

Such a name usually indicates the dis- 
tinguishing character or famous deeds of 
the boy's ancestors, and its bearer is ex- 
pected to live up to, defend, and pass it 
on^ unstained. Through this ancient cus- 
tom, he is early recognized by his tribe, 
impressed with a sense of his personal 
responsibility, and inspired with the am- 
bition to be worthy of his ancestry. By 
giving away their property to those in 
want, his parents intend to teach him 
love and good-will toward his fellow-men. 
But if, when he grows up, the boy fails 
to sustain his honor name, he is no longer 
called by it. 



INDIAN NAMES 115 

If he does not fail, but on the other 
hand performs some special deed of valor, 
or wins some distinguished honor on his 
own account, he may later be given a spe- 
cial " deed name," and the conferring of 
such was at one time strictly guarded 
among the Sioux. Our unwritten book 
of " Who's Who " is composed of just 
such heroes. 

The deed name is generally given by 
the war chief, and such naming is not 
accompanied by gifts. A deed requiring 
great physical courage is often celebrated 
by giving the name of some fear-inspiring 
animal, such as Bear or Buffalo, or one of 
the nobler bird names — those of Eagle, 
Hawk, and Owl. The character of the 
exploit, calling for special strength, swift- 
ness, agility, or endurance, helps to deter- 
mine the name chosen, or adds a qualifying 
word descriptive of some poetic or pic- 
turesque quality in the action. Examples 
are ** Charging Eagle " and '' Conquering 
Bear." 



116 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

Not only bird and animal names, but 
those of the elements, are commonly used 
to express temperament. The rash, im- 
petuous man may be called " Storm," 
or " Whirlwind." Loftiness and beauty 
of character is indicated by a name inclu- 
ding the word '' sky," or " cloud," such 
as "Red Cloud," " Touch-the-Cloud," 
"Blue Sky," or " Hole-in-the-Day," all 
names of well-known chiefs. Sometimes 
the idea of bravery or swiftness conveyed 
by the name of animal or bird is combined 
with another suggestive of dignity, sacred- 
ness, mystery, or magic; as, for example, 
"Thunder Bear," or "Spirit Buffalo." 

The highest type of brave deed name 
is represented by " Thunder," or " Light- 
ning," in one of its many variations. 
" Crazy Bull " and " Crazy Horse " stand 
for utter fearlessness and unconsciousness 
of danger, rather than madness. Resource- 
fulness, generosity, and productiveness are 
expressed in the name of " Earth " with 
some of its poetic attributes. " Fire " 



INDIAN NAMES 117 

represents daring and war-like qualities. 
Colors are used in a purely symbolic sense, 
thus redeeming from any touch of absurd- 
ity such names as " Red WoK " and " Black 
Eagle." 

Many Indian names have been roughly 
handled in translation by illiterate persons, 
such as were most of the early interpreters. 
The raven was a dignified bird which dis- 
appeared with the buffalo, but its name 
is generally mistranslated as crow. The 
Sioux call the crow the '' scolding grand- 
mother," and use its name only as a satir- 
ical jest. The famous chief known as 
" Young -man -afraid -of -his -Horses," was 
really called '' Man-whose-Horse-is-f eared " 
(by the enemy). 

An instance of the highly poetic and 
figurative name is that of " Wee-yo-tank- 
ah-lo6-tah." Literally translated, it means 
'' He who in his usual home-going pauses 
upon an eminence glowing with scarlet 
light." The reference is to the Sun, who, 
at the close of his day's journey across the 



118 



INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 



prairies of the sky, apparently rests for 
a moment upon his gorgeous seat at the 
verge of the horizon. He who bears that 
name needs no introduction; its beauty 
is eloquence enough. 

Here are some honor names for Boy 
Scouts. 



Wam-blee'-skah . 

Ta-tonk'-ah-sap'-ah. 

Mah-to'-skah. 

C hay-ton'-ho-tah . 

Chay-ton'-wah-koo'-wah. 

Kan-gee'-loo-tah. 

Kan-gee-' wah-kan. 

Mah-kah'-skah. 

Mah-pee'-yah-to. 

Mah-pee'-yah-loo'-tah. 

Wah-kan'-glee-o'-ta. 

Tah-tay'-an-pah. 

O-han'-zee. 

Pay'-tah. 

Tah-wah'-soo-o'-ta. 

We-hin'-ah-pay. 

We'-e-yah-yah. 

Ah-kee'-ehee-tah. 

O-hit'-e-kah. 

Wan'-ah-ton. 

O'-tak-tay. 

Tee-tonk'-ah. 

Chank-oo'- wash-tay . 



White Eagle. 

Black Buffalo. 

White Bear. 

Gray Falcon. 

Charging Falcon. 

Red Raven. 

Sacred Raven. 

White Earth. 

Blue Sky. 

Red Sky (or Cloud). 

Many Lightnings. 

Wind, or Storm. 

Shadow (Comforting). 

Fire. 

His Hailstorm (Forcible, 

or Impetuous). 
Rising Sun. 
Setting Sun. 
Soldier. 
Brave. 
Charger. 

Kills or Strikes Many. 
Big Lodge. 
Good Road. 



INDIAN NAMES 119 

Nah-pay'-shnee. He does not flee (Coura- 
geous) . 

E'-nap-ay. Comes Out (Appears 

Bravely) . 

Wah-chin'-tonk-ah. Patient. 

Wah-cJhink'-sap-ah. Wise, Clear-headed. 

Tah-ko'-dah. Friend to them all. 

O-dah'-ko-tah. Friendly. 

Tah-o'-han-o'-tah. His Many Good Deeds. 

Tah-wah'-hink-pay- His Many Arrows (Re- 
o'-tah. sourceful). 

Ko-han'-nah. Swift. 

O'-gal-lee-shah. Red Shirt. 

Ho'-wah-kan. Mysterious Voice. 

Wah-nah'-gee-skah. White Spirit. 

Wah-nee'-kee-yah. Savior. 

Wah-hah'-chank-ah. Shield. 



XVII 

INDIAN girls' names AND SYMBOLIC 
DECORATIONS 

ALL Indian art is symbolic, and the 
decorative native designs may be 
so applied in bead-work, basketry, 
weaving, embroidery, or jewelry as to ex- 
press the ideals and personality of the 
maker. This is true of all the tribes, but 

▲ the individual symbols vary 
with their customs and habitat. 
In all genuine Sioux handi- 
work, the central design is the 
isosceles triangle (Fig. 11), 
Fig. 11. representing the conical teepee 
or tent — the home. This is used in many 
different ways. Two tents with the bases 
united, forming a diamond (Fig. 12), indi- 
cate the four points of the compass, or the 



mDIAN GIRLS' NAMES 



ni 



whole world. Two tents with the peaks 
together (Fig. 13) are symbolic of life here 





Fig. 12. Fia. 13. Fig. 14. 

and hereafter. The dark tent cut in half 
with a band of white, yellow, or light blue 
in the center (Fig. 14) signifies happiness 





Fig. 15. 

Fig. 16 

in the home. The tent enclosed in a circle 
(Fig. 15) means eternal union. 



122 



INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 



Figure 16 is commonly used to repre- 
sent footprints or man's trail through the 
world. The zig-zag line (Fig. 17) is hght- 
ning or destruction; the wavy line (Fig. 18) 
mountains or prayer. 



Fig. 17. 



Fig. 18. 

In the symbolism of colors, pale blue 
or white is generally used for background, 
and represents sky or heaven; red, life; 
dark blue or black, shadow or trouble; 
green, summer or plenty; and yellow, sun- 
light or happiness. Dark blue, dovetailed 
with pale blue or yellow, represents the 
light and shade of hfe's common experi- 
ence. 

Animal figures are much used in con- 
ventionalized designs. The figure of the 
bear means courage; the buflfalo, plenty; 



INDIAN GIRLS' NAMES 123 

the eagle (wings spread), honor; the owl, 
observation; the wolf, skill; the turtle, 
wisdom and longevity; the serpent, heal- 
ing; the hawk, swiftness; the beaver, in- 
dustry; the deer, love. The figure of a 
man on horseback represents a warrior. 

No Indian girl may wear the skin or 
any representation of the bear, wolf, or 
cat, nor wear the feathers of the eagle, 
since these are masculine emblems. The 
doe, ermine, otter, and mink are feminine 
emblems. 

It is usually possible to distinguish fem- 
inine from masculine personal names by 
the meaning. The names of the fiercer 
wild animals, such as bear, wolf, and eagle, 
are given to boys; girls are called after 
the fawn, mink, beaver, etc. Either may 
be called after sky, wind, or water, but 
the name of Fire is masculine. The sylla- 
ble " wee " is a feminine termination. 
" Na " is a diminutive, used much Uke 
" ie " in Enghsh. 

The following are Sioux feminine names 



124 



INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 



appropriate to '' Camp Fire girls," 
their literal and symbolic meanings. 



with 



Wee-no'-nah. 

Wee-hah'-kay-dah. 

War-chah'-wash-tay. 

O-jin'-jint-kah. 

Zit-kah'-lah-skah . 

Do'-wan-ho'-wee. 

Wa-chee'-wee. 

Han-tay'-wee. 

Wa-zee'-me-nah-wee. 

Mah-kah'-wee. 

Mah-pee'-yah. 
E-ha'-wee. 
Wee-ko'. 
Ptay-san'-wee. 

Mah-gah'-skah-wee. 
Wah-su'-lah. 

Snah'-nah. 

Ta-lu'-tah. 

Ta-tee'-yo-pah. 

Wee-tash'-nah. 

Tak-cha'-wee. 

Chah'-pah-wee. 

An-pay'-too. 

Wik-mun'-kee-wee. 



Eldest Daughter. Loaf- 
giver, charitable. 

Youngest Daughter. Little 
One. 

Pretty Flower. Beautiful. 

Rose. Queen of Flowers. 

White Bird. Pure. 

Singing Voice. 

Dancing Girl. 

Cedar Maid. Faithful. 

Odors of the Pine. Whole- 
some, refreshing. 

Earth Maiden. Generous, 
motherly. 

Sky. Heavenly. 

Laughing Maid. 

Pretty Girl. 

White Buffalo. Queen of 
the Herd. 

Swan Maiden. Graceful. 

Little Hail-storm. Stormy, 
impulsive. 

Jingles (like little bells). 
Musical. 

Scarlet. Brilliant. 

Her Door. Happy Hostess. 

Virgin. Untouched. 

Doe. Loving. 

Beaver. Industrious. 

Day. Radiant. 

Rainbow. Return of Bless- 
ing. 



INDIAN GIRLS' NAMES 125 

And some Ojibway girls' names. 

Man-e-do-bin'-es. Spirit Bird, or Bird Spirit. 

O-min-o-tah'-go. Pleasant Voice. 

Ke-we-din'-ok. Woman of the Wind. 

A-ya'-she. Little One. 

A-be'-da-bun. Peep of Day. 

Ke-zhe-ko'-ne. Fire Briskly Burning. 

O-dah-ing'-um. Ripple on the Water. 

Me-o-quan'-ee. Clothed in Red. 

Nah-tah'-ak-on. Expert Canoeist. 

She-she'-bens. Little Duck. 

A-be'-qua. She Stays at Home. 



XVIII 

THE LANGUAGE OF FEATHERS AND 
CEREMONIAL DRESS 

IN the first place, the wearing of feathers 
is not pecuHar to the Indians, except 
in the value attached to them as sym- 
bols of character and true worth. Any- 
one may wear any sort of feather as orna- 
ment merely, or in imitation of the old- 
time warrior, but with him it was a serious 
affair. He adopted only the feathers of 
certain birds, and these must be worn in 
accordance with well-understood law and 
custom. 

The following birds are held in especially 
high honor: namely, the eagle, raven, 
and falcon, commonly called hawk. But 
it must be borne in mind that as far as 
the Indian is concerned, there is only one 
hawk that holds an honorable position: 



THE LANGUAGE OF DRESS 127 

that is the American falcon. He is daring 
to recklessness in his methods of warfare 
and hunting, and though not large, is 
swift and graceful. The raven is held 
next to the eagle in dignity and wisdom; 
and the owl comes next on the roll of 
honored birds. Some of the water-fowl, 
such as the loon, cormorant, and pelican, 
play a minor part in our myths and folk- 
lore, but in the warriors' codes and em- 
blems only the dashing and courageous 
birds of prey are permitted to appear — 
the American eagle standing first. 

The feathers of this bird are highly 
prized, since they stand for brave deeds 
and form a warrior's record. They are 
variously worn among different tribes. 
Perhaps the best and completest system 
was developed by the Sioux nation; a sys- 
tem which was gradually adopted by their 
neighbors on the plains, and which I shall 
follow closely. 

No Sioux may wear an eagle's tail- 
feather unless he has counted a coup, or 



us INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

stroke, upon an enemy, dead or alive. If 
in a battle, the deed is witnessed by his 
fellow-warriors; but if he was alone when 
he made the count, he must have unmis- 
takable proof, or the feather is not awarded. 
There are four coup counts on each enemy, 
and these are secured in succession. Even 
upon a living enemy, if he is overpowered 
and held captive, these four counts could 
properly be shared by the warriors. But 
it is obvious that in most cases they are 
very difficult to secure. A man may strike 
an enemy in a hand-to-hand battle, or, 
as you would say, in a " mix-up," and he 
gets away without being killed or even 
seriously hurt. In this case, only one 
coup is counted. Again, many foes are 
killed upon whose bodies no coup at all 
is counted, because it is impossible to 
obtain, and upon others, one or two may 
be taken with much difficulty and superb 
daring in the face of the enemy's fire. 
Herein lies the relative value of individual 
feathers, and the degree of valor shown or 



THE LANGUAGE OF DRESS 1^9 

diflSculty encountered determines the sub- 
sidiary trimmings, tassels, and ornaments. 

Primarily, every eagle feather worn by 
a warrior represents a cowp given in battle. 
This is important to remember. No other 
feather stands for the same thing, though 
different degrees of courage and endurance 
may be expressed by other feathers. 

For instance, a group of raven or of 
Canadian goose feathers trimmed on the 
sides, indicates that the wearer has been 
wounded in battle more than once. A 
single goose feather dyed red and trimmed, 
means that the wearer was severely 
wounded in battle. Sometimes a man 
wears an eagle feather dyed or trimmed, 
meaning that he was wounded at the time 
he counted the coup. An eagle feather 
notched and the cut dyed red, means that 
the wearer counted the coup and took the 
scalp also, but was wounded while so do- 
ing. 

He may have the feather cut off at the 
tip, showing that he killed his foe and 



130 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

counted the coup on that same enemy. 
If he fought a desperate battle, with the 
odds against him, in which he came off 
victor, he may tip his eagle's feather with 
buffalo hair; and if he counted coup in 
a charge on horseback in the face of im- 
minent danger, he may tip it with hair 
from a horse's tail. 

Among some tribes, the wearing of a 
split feather denotes that the wearer has 
been wounded, and when the feather is 
clipped off at the tip, that he has taken a 
scalp. When a warrior wears one eagle 
feather upright and the rest drooping, it 
indicates that he was surrounded in com- 
pany with a party of warriors of whom he 
was the sole survivor. 

As I have said, the Indian might wear 
as many eagle feathers as he had counted 
coups. When he had won a number of 
these in difficult circumstances, and had 
been held at bay and surrounded by the 
enemy, but succeeded in getting away, he 
was entitled to a regular war-bonnet. Only 



THE LANGUAGE OF DRESS 131 

an exceptional record of many battles in 
which he had shown great coolness, skill, 
and daring, entitled him to the long, trail- 
ing war-bonnet of many plumes. 

There are other ornaments and portions 
of a warrior's dress that bear a special 
significance. If he has been in the van- 
guard of battle more than once and led 
counter-charges, he may wear the whole 
skin of a raven on his back in the dances. 
If he has pursued his enemy into the hos- 
tile camp and killed him there, he may 
wear an otter skin sUt up the middle so 
that his head comes through, and the 
head of the animal hangs upon his chest. 
A garter made of skunk's skin with the 
head and tail on, shows that he has suc- 
cessfully taken a scalp under the enemy's 
fire. He wears a grizzly bear's claws when 
he has been surrounded, but charged singly, 
bear-like, and repulsed the enemy. The 
paws of a grizzly bear, claws and all, denote 
that he has knocked off or pulled off the 
foe in a mounted encounter. 



132 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

The deer-tail head-gear dyed in shades 
of red, with a thin square of bone, resem- 
bhng ivory, in the center, to which one 
or more eagle feathers are attached, is 
equivalent to the eagle feather war-bonnet. 
The quill end of each feather is placed in 
the hollow of a goose's wing-bone embossed 
with the beautiful iridescent neck-skin of 
a drake, and the whole forms an imposing 
ornament. 

The wearing of the skins of certain ani- 
mals and birds represents the totem, or, 
as it were, the coat-of-arms of the Indian. 
These symbols take a wide range, almost 
every familiar bird and animal, even fish 
and reptiles, being used as a sort of charm 
or talisman, some for healing, and others 
for protection from harm. But these 
things are not mere dead feathers or skins 
to the Indians; they symbolize an appeal 
to the brotherly spirit of the animal rep- 
resenting their individual lodge or clan, 
and are honored in recognition of the won- 
derful intuitive power of the dumb crea- 



THE LANGUAGE OF DRESS 133 

tures. The Indian believes that instinct 
comes more directly from the " Great 
Mystery " than reason even; why else 
does an animal or child show wisdom with- 
out thought? 

The addition of an ermine skin to the 
war-bonnet is an honor that few warriors 
earned in the old days. It is a degree of 
the highest type. The man who is recog- 
nized as a past master of courage, having 
achieved all the decorations of a patriot 
and a true warrior, dauntless in war, yet 
gentle at home, a friend and a brother — 
he alone may wear ermine upon his war- 
bonnet, or trim his ceremonial shirt with 
the beautiful white fur. 

The addition of buffalo-hair trimming 
to a warrior's bonnet or shirt or leggings 
is an indication that he has taken many 
scalps. If he is a chief, he may even have 
a buffalo tail dangle from one of his teepee 
poles. No one may do so without the 
authority of the tribe. Neither can the 
councilors confer these degrees without 



134 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

actual proof of service. No favoritism 
is possible under our system, and the high- 
est degrees are conferred only upon men 
who have been tried, again and again by 
every conceivable ordeal. Heroism is com- 
mon, because the universal spirit of gal- 
lantry and chivalry requires it. 

At a public dance, an Indian may re- 
count some particular brave deed. This 
he acts out for the benefit of the younger 
element. He could not add anything to 
it, because the event is already well known. 
When the old customs were intact, it was 
the old warriors who claimed this privi- 
lege, and they, too, were allowed to paint 
their bodies in imitation of their severe 
wounds. 

I remember very well in a great tribal 
dance that there were many of these old 
men who enacted their deeds with great 
spirit, and one had painted the upper half 
of his face black, with zig-zag lines repre- 
senting lightning, the whole symbolic of 
a terrific battle. The lower part of his 



THE LANGUAGE OF DRESS 135 

face, even with the mouth and including 
it was painted red, with streaks running 
down upon the chin. Every Indian would 
know that he had been wounded in the 
mouth. Another had painted in the mid- 
dle of his broad chest a red hole, and from 
it there ran some red streaks, with a fine 
Crow arrow depicted in realistic fashion. 

These customs have their barbarous 
side, but a really touching feature is that 
a warrior always shares his honors* with 
his war-horse. Such a horse may wear an 
eagle plume in his forelock as proudly as 
his master, his tail or mane may be trimmed 
and dyed according to his rider's war rec- 
ord, or he may be made to mourn for him 
by having it cut quite short. 

Sometimes an acknowledged warrior 
decorates his long pipe-stem or the handle 
of his war-club. But no person can wear 
the honorable insignia of another; in fact, 
he can wear none that have not been 
awarded to him in due course by the coun- 
cil of his tribe. 



136 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

The Boy Scouts may, if they choose, 
adapt this system to the honors counted 
in their organization, grading the various 
exploits in accordance with the real man- 
hood needed to accomplish them. 



XIX 

INDIAN CEREMONIES FOR BOY SCOUTS 

INDIAN ceremonies are always in de- 
mand, and I shall give you several 
which have been specially adapted to 
your use from the ancient rites of the 
Sioux nation. 

THE AY'-CHAY-TEE, OR SCOUT's BONFIRE 

This is supposed to bring success in war 
and hunting, and may be kindled by a 
band of Scouts on the eve of a long hike, 
or any important undertaking, or as a 
ceremony of initiation of new members. 

The one appointed to act as Leader or 
Medicine-man lays in a convenient place 
a pile of dry wood for the ceremonial fire, 
to which the Scouts are summoned by a 
herald. He goes the rounds with a camp 



138 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

horn, bidding all come to the Ay'-chay-tee 
when the sun is at a certain height in the 
heavens, preferably near sunset. The 
Medicine-man should be attired in full 
Indian costume, and prepared to act the 
part of a man full of years and wisdom. 
As fire is the symbol of enthusiasm, energy, 
and devotion, and is with the Indians a 
strictly masculine emblem, it is fit that 
the young men gather about it before 
going upon a journey or '' war-path." 

When all have assembled in the usual 
circle, dressed either in Indian costume 
or Scout's uniform, the Leader, standing 
in the center of the ring beside the pre- 
pared wood, kindles a " new fire " by 
means of the bow and drill, flint and steel, 
or " rubbing sticks." 

He then takes up the long-handled cal- 
umet or peace-pipe, which has previously 
been filled with dried sumach leaves, red 
willow bark, or other aromatic herb, kin- 
dles it with a coal from the " sacred fire," 
and reverently holding it before him in 



CEREMONIES FOR BOY SCOUTS 139 

both hands, with the stem pointing up- 
ward and forward, exclaims: 

" To the Great Spirit (or Great Mys- 
tery) who is over all! " 

The Scouts answer in unison: "Ho!" 
Then, turning the stem of the pipe down- 
ward, the Leader says: 

"To our Grandmother, the Earth!" 
The Scouts answer: "Ho!" 
He thus holds the pipe successively 
toward the four points of the compass, 
exclaiming as he does so: "To the East 
Wind! the West Wind! the North Wind! 
the South Wind! " and each time all an- 
swer: "Ho!" 

The Leader next holds the stem of the 
pipe toward the first Scout, who, step- 
ping forward and touching it solemnly, 
repeats in an audible voice the " Scout's 
Oath: " 

" I promise to obey my Leader, to seek 
honor above all things, and that neither 
pain nor danger shall keep me from doing 
my duty! " 



140 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

After the pipe has thus gone round the 
circle, it is laid beside the fire, and all the 
Scouts chant, or recite in unison, the 
Strong Heart Song: 

" We are the Scouts of (name of band or bri- 
gade); 
We are the strong-hearted; 
We go forward, fearing nothing, to fulfil our vow! " 

All now dance around the fire, going 
through the actions of a Scout on the 
enemy's trail. A drum beaten in quick 
time is the proper accompaniment to this 
dance, or it may be performed to the 
chant and hand-clapping of the Leader. 
(For other songs and musical airs, see 
Alice Fletcher's '' Indian Story and Song.") 
Finally the Scouts leave the ring one by 
one, each, as he disappears in the shadows, 
giving the yelp of the wolf — the Indian 
Scout's call. 

When a Scout returns to camp with 
news, he is met by the councilors seated 
in a circle about the fire, and before giving 



CEREMONIES FOR BOY SCOUTS 141 

his report, takes the oath of the pipe in 
the past tense, thus: 

" I have obeyed my Leader, have sought 
honor above all things, and neither pain 
nor danger has kept me from doing my 
duty!" 

If, however, the matter is urgent, and 
there is little time for ceremony, he may, 
on entering the circle, kick down and 
scatter a small pile of wood which has 
been placed in readiness, this act consti- 
tuting his oath that he has faithfully per- 
formed his task. 

THE BEAR DANCE 

This is one of a class of ceremonies 
common among Indians, in which the act- 
ors masquerade as animals. Bears, wolves, 
buffalo, elk, and others are represented with 
elaborate costuming and imagery. The 
Bear is the emblem of courage. 

In this dance one of the players is chosen 
to represent the Bear, and should be made 
up if possible with the skin and head of 



142 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

that animal as a disguise, otherwise with 
a painted mask. A small arbor of green 
boughs forms the den, from which he 
issues from time to time in short rushes, 
growling as savagely as possible, and is 
teased with switches in the hands of the 
other players. If any one can touch 
the Bear without being himself touched, 
he scores one point, but if touched, he 
loses five points. If he trips and falls 
while running, he is out of the game. When- 
ever the pace becomes too swift for him, 
the Bear may retreat to his den, where 
he is safe. This game should last a given 
number of minutes, say twenty, at the 
end of which the scores are reckoned by 
two tellers previously detailed, and the 
winner announced. The drum and Indian 
songs may accompany this entertainment, 
which should be followed by a feast of 
Indian dishes, such as com, venison, ma- 
ple sugar, etc., served in Indian style, all 
the guests being seated cross-legged in a 
circle. 



CEREMONIES FOR BOY SCOUTS 143 

THE PEACE CEREMONY 

This is a very old rite of the Sioux, 
intended to typify the conquest of the 
Thunder-Bird, which is supposed to bring 
the lightning, and is the emblem of de- 
struction. It 



L 




IS appropri- 
ately given in 
early summer, 
the period 
of frequent 
thunder- 
storms. 

Cut the 
figure of the 
Thunder -Bird 
from a piece of birch-bark or thin wood, 
and suspend from the top of a pole fifteen 
feet high, which is raised in the center of 
a ring sixty feet in diameter, formed of 
small bent saplings or willow wands. The 
ring must have two entrances. At the 
foot of the pole, place a bowl of clear water 
to represent the rain which accompanies 



Fig. 19. 



144 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

the lightning. On either side stand two 
small boys, dressed in red or wearing red 
about their clothing, and carrying war- 
clubs in their hands. These boys repre- 
sent War. 

Now all the Scouts enter the ring in 
single file, dressed in Scouts' uniform or 
Indian costume and armed with bow and 
arrows. The drum beats a slow tattoo 
as they march about the pole, looking up- 
ward toward the figure of the Thunder- 
Bird and chanting these lines: 

"Hear us, O Thunder! 
Hear us, and tremble! 
We are the soldiers, 
Soldiers of peace! *' 

At the close of the song, each in turn 
shoots an arrow at the image, and when 
it falls, the Scout who brought it down 
must drink all the water in the bowl. The 
war-clubs are then taken away from the 
two little boys representing War, who go 
out by the western entrance to the ring. 
At the same time there enter by the east- 



CEREMONIES FOR BOY SCOUTS 145 

ern entrance two more boys (or preferably 
girls, if it is a mixed assemblage), clad in 
blue and carrying calumets, to typify 
Peace. These lead the second march 
around the pole, while all chant the sec- 
ond stanza of the song: 

"The Thunder is fallen; 
Lost are his arrows; 
Peace is the victor — 
Our mother is Peace! " 

A heavy stick with a large knot or knob 
on the end will do for a war-club, and if no 
genuine peace-pipe is obtainable, one may 
be improvised from a piece of wood. 



c 



^ 



Fig. 20. 

To any or all of these ceremonies specta- 
tors may be invited (and among the In- 
dians the whole village is generally present), 
but it is essential that they maintain per- 
fect order and absolute silence during the 
solemnities. 



XX 

THE maidens' feast: a ceremony for girls 

A BEAUTIFUL festival, celebrated 
yearly in the olden time among the 
Sioux and other Plains Indians, was 
called the " Maidens' Feast," and was de- 
signed to stimulate a proper pride and 
dedication to duty among the young girls 
of the tribe. I shall describe for you an 
adaptation of this ancient ceremony, that 
may be appropriately used by Camp Fire 
Girls and others on their summer outings. 
This feast is always given at midsummer, 
in the fullness of bloom and splendor, as 
befits a gathering of the flower of the vil- 
lage or community. Invitations may be 
issued by the Guardian of the Camp Fire, 
or Leader of the band of girls, in the 
form of thin leaves of birch-bark or small 
bunches of sweet-grass. Another way of 



THE MAIDENS' FEAST 147 

giving the invitation, if all the girls are in 
camp, is to engage the services of some 
man with a bugle or camp-horn to act as 
herald. He should dress in Indian cos- 
tume and make the rounds early in the 
morning, blowing the horn and declaim- 
ing in a loud voice somewhat as follows: 

" Hear ye, hear ye, all the people! The 
maidens of the . . . Camp Fire are sum- 
moned to repair at noon to-day to the Sa- 
cred Stone in the middle of the encamp- 
ment, there to hold the annual feast! Hear 
ye, hear ye! " 

The maidens all come in ceremonial 
attire, and full Indian costume is indis- 
pensable to the proper effect. The hair is 
arranged in forward-turning plaits, and 
surmounted by a modest wreath or fillet 
of wild flowers. They advance silently, 
in single file, and form a ring about the 
" Sacred Stone," a rudely heart-shaped 
or pyramidal boulder, which has been 
touched Kghtly with red paint. Beside 
the Stone, two new arrows are thrust into 



148 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

the earth. The rock symboUzes perma- 
nence, or the unchangeable forces of na- 
ture; the arrows, nature's punishment for 
disobedience. 

Now the leader of the maidens steps out 
of the ring, and laying her right hand upon 
the summit of the Stone, pronounces in 
clear tones the " Maidens' Vow: " 

" Upon this Stone I take the maiden's 
twofold vow; the vow of purity — my duty 
to myself; the pledge of service — my duty 
to others! " 

She then steps back and seats herself 
sidewise on the ground in the ring. Each 
in turn takes the vow in the same manner 
until the " maidens' circle " is complete. 
Then all rise and chant, or recite in unison, 
the "Maidens' Song:" 

" We are the maidens of (name of band) ; 

Our faces are turned toward the morning; 

In our hearts is the summer of promise; 

In our hands " (make cup of both hands) " we hold 

the new generation! 
United we go to meet the future, 
Armed with truth to ourselves, and with love for 

all! " 



THE MAIDENS' FEAST 149 

At the close of the song, all take hands 
and dance four times about the Stone, 
each time reversing the movement. 

Lastly, they seat themselves again in 
the same order, and the " feast " is served 
by handing it about the circle, each maiden 
taking her portion in her own basin, or 
bowl, and eating it with her own spoon, 
having brought these with her according 
to the Indian custom. Appropriate dishes 
for the feast would be rice with maple 
sugar (wild rice if obtainable), green corn 
or succotash, berries and nuts, maize 
cakes or pop-corn dainties, or any strictly 
native product. After the food is served, 
it is permitted for the first time to talk and 
laugh, all gravity and decorum having been 
preserved by participants and spectators 
during the entire ceremony. 

The parents and friends of the young 
women should be invited, if convenient, 
to witness the "Maidens' Feast," and a 
characteristic Indian feature would be 
added if some of them should desire to 



150 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

signalize the occasion by gifts to some 
needy person or cause. Such gifts should 
be announced at the close of the festi- 
val. 



XXI 

THE GESTURE - LANGUAGE OF THE INDIAN 

THE American Indian is extremely 
pictorial in his habits of thought 
and in his modes of expression. 
Even his every-day speech is full of sym- 
bols drawn from the natural world. Yet 
more poetic and descriptive in character 
is that form of communication properly 
called " gesture speech," but commonly 
known as " Indian sign-language." 

This language is most fully developed 
among the tribes of the Great Plains, many 
of whom speak entirely different tongues, 
for use in their frequent meetings, either 
accidental or for the purpose of concluding 
a treaty of peace. It is also used by deaf 
mutes among Indians. It has been learned 
and elaborately written out by several au- 



152 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

thorities, chief of whom is Captain W. R. 
Clark of the United States Army. Being 
understood by few, it will serve excellently 
as a secret code, so much desired by young 
people, and is especially appropriate to the 
ceremonials of Boy Scouts and Camp Fire 
Girls. 

We Indian boys were taught from baby- 
hood to be silent, to listen to the things 
that nature is saying all about us. But 
since it is hard for a healthy boy to keep 
his discoveries and observations entirely to 
himseK, he must devise some outlet. Our 
silent communication, our *' wireless," was 
the gesture-language. 

It should be remembered that among 
Indians the whole body speaks, and that all 
oratory, and even conversation, is accom- 
panied by graceful and significant gestures. 
The accomplished user will make the signs 
herein described rapidly and smoothly, in- 
vesting the whole with genuine charm, as 
a novel kind of pantomime. For it will 
be seen that these are no arbitrary signs. 



GESTURE - LANGUAGE 153 

but actual air-pictures, and not manual 
only, since they include a variety of move- 
ments and considerable facial expression. 

The construction or grammar of the sign- 
language is simple. Adjectives follow 
nouns, conjunctions and prepositions are 
omitted, and verbs are used in the pres- 
ent tense only. The following signs, well- 
learned, will enable one to carry on a short 
conversation, and many more may be de- 
vised along these lines by an ingenious boy 
or girl. 

Attention, or Question. Hold right hand, 
palm outward, fingers and thumb separated, 
well out in front of body at height of shoul- 
der. This is used to begin a conversation. 

I understand. Throw right forearm out 
in front of body with fingers closed, except 
index finger, which is curved and drawn 
back. This indicates that you grasp and 
draw something toward you, and is used 
occasionally while another is talking. If 
you do not understand, use the Question 
sign. 



154 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

I. Touch breast with index finger of 
right hand. 

Glad, (Sunshine in the heart.) Place 
compressed right hand, fingers shghtly 
curved, over region of heart; bring left 
hand, palm downward, in sweeping curve 
to left of body, at the same time turning 
it palm upward, as if turning up or un- 
folding something. The expression of the 
face should correspond. 

Sad, Place the closed fist against the 
heart. Appropriate facial expression. 

Surprised, Cover mouth with palm of 
right hand, open eyes widely, and move 
head slightly backward. 

Angry. (Mind twisted.) Place closed 
right fist against forehead and twist from 
right to left. 

Ashamed, (Blanket over face.) Bring 
both hands, palms inward, fingers touching, 
in front of and near the face. 

Good. (Level with heart.) Hold ex- 
tended right hand, back up, close to region 
of heart; move briskly forward and to right. 



GESTURE - LANGUAGE 155 

Bad. (Throw away.) Hold one or both 
hands, closed, in front of body, backs up- 
ward; open with a snap, at the same time 
moving them outward and downward. 

Brave, Strong. Hold firmly closed left 
hand in front of body, left arm pointing to 
right and front; bring closed right hand 
above and a little in front of left, and strike 
downwards, imitating the blow of a hammer. 
(This gesture, vigorously made, intensifies 
any previous statement or description.) 

Alone. Hold up index finger. 

On Horseback. Place first and second 
finger of right hand astride left index finger. 
Motion of galloping may be made, or a 
Fall from the horse represented. 

TenU or Wigwam. Bring both hands to- 
gether at the finger tips, forming a cone. 

House. Interlock fingers of both hands, 
holding them at right angles. 

Camp. Sign for Tent, then form circle 
with arms and hands in front of body. 

City, or Village. Sign for House, then 
Camp sign. 



156 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

Sleep, Incline head to right and rest 
cheek on right palm. For going into camp, 
or to indicate the length of a journey, make 
sign for Sleep and hold up as many fingers 
as nights were spent on the way. 

Time is told by indicating the position of 
the sun; the Seasons as follows: 

Spring, (Little grass.) Hold hands, 
palms upward, well down in front, fingers 
and thumbs well separated and slightly 
curved; separate hands slightly. Then hold 
right hand in front of body, back to right, 
closing fingers so that only tip of index 
finger projects. (This last sign for Little.) 

Summer, Sign for Grass, holding hands 
at height of waist. 

Autumn, (Falling leaves.) Hold right 
hand above head, fingers closed, except 
index finger and thumb, which form nearly 
a circle; bring hand slowly downward with 
wavering motion. 

Winter, Hold closed hands in front of 
body and several inches apart; give shiver- 
ing motion to hands. 



GESTURE - LANGUAGE 157 

To indicate Age, give sign for Winter and 
hold up fingers; all counting is done in the 
same way, in multiples of ten; as, for one 
hundred, open and close fingers of both 
hands ten times. 

Color is usually indicated by pointing to 
some object of the color spoken of. 

Brother, Touch first and second finger 
to lips. 

Sister, Sign for Brother, and that for 
Woman, 

Woman, (Long hair.) Bring both palms 
down sides of head, shoulders, and bosom, 
with sweeping gesture. 

Love, Cross both arms over bosom. 

Give Me, Hold right hand well out in 
front of body, palm upward, close, and 
bring in toward body. 

Beautiful, Hold palms up like mirror in 
front of face; make sign for Good, 

Ugly. Same as above, with sign for 
Bad. 

Peace. Clasp both hands in front of 
body. 



158 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

Quarrel, Hold index fingers, pointing 
upward, opposite and a few inches apart; 
move sharply toward each other, alterna- 
ting motion. 

Liar, (Forked tongue.) Bring sepa- 
rated first and second fingers of right hand 
close to lips. 

Scout. (This is also the sign for Wolf,) 
Hold first and second fingers of right hand, 
extended and pointing upward, near right 
shoulder, to indicate pointed ears. 

Trail, Hold extended hands, palms up, 
side by side in front of body; move right to 
rear and left to front a few inches; alter- 
nate motion. 

It is -finished. Bring closed hands in 
front of body, thumbs up, second joints 
touching; then separate. This sign ends a 
speech or conversation. 



XXII 

INDIAN PICTURE-WRITING 

THE Indian is something of an im- 
pressionist in the matter of tech- 
nique. Though possessed of great 
manual dexterity, he does not care, as a 
rule, to reproduce an object exactly, but 
rather to suggest his fundamental concep- 
tion of it. Each drawing stands for an idea, 
and its symbolic character gives it a certain 
mystery and dignity in our eyes. 

It is usual to represent an animal in ac- 
tion, in order to indicate more clearly its 
real or imaginary attributes. Thus a horse 
is shown running, a buffalo or bear fighting, 
or in a humorous attitude. 

Pictorial hieroglyphics are merely crude 
pictures drawn and painted upon leather 
or birch-bark, or cut into the trunk of a 



160 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

convenient tree, or perhaps upon a hard 
clay bank, and sometimes even scratched 
with a hard stone upon the face of a cHff. 
In the first place, they represent history 
and biography, and serve to supplement 
and authenticate our oral traditions. 
Others are communications intended for 
some one who is likely to pass that way, 
and give important information. The per- 




"n^^i^ 



±=, 



Fig. 21. 

son or persons whom it is desired to reach 
need not be addressed, but the sender of 
the message signs his name first, as in a letter 
of ceremony. 

Suppose Charging Eagle is on the war- 
path and wishes to communicate with his 
friends. He cuts upon the bark of a con- 
spicuous tree beside the trail the figure of 
an eagle swooping downward, bearing in 



INDIAN PICTURE-WRITING 161 

its beak a war-club. The news he gives is 
that his young men brought home a herd 
of horses taken from the enemy. He draws 
first a teepee; facing it are several free 
horses, and immediately behind them two 
or three riders with war-bonnets on their 
heads, leading another horse. Last of all 
are some horses' footprints. The free 
horses represent force, and the led horse 
expresses captivity. The fact that the men 
wear their war-bonnets, indicates a state of 
war. 

The event is dated by drawing the symbol 
of the month in which it occurred, followed 
by the outline of the moon in its first, sec- 
ond, third, or fourth quarter, dark or full, 
as the case may be. The waxing moon 
opens toward the right, the waning moon 
toward the left. To be still more exact, 
the chief may draw the sun with its rays, 
followed by an open hand with as many 
fingers extended as days have passed since 
the event. 

The thirteen moons of the year are 



162 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

named differently by different Indian tribes. 
I will give the names and symbols com- 




FiG. 22 

monly used by the Sioux, beginning with 
nature's new year, the early spring. 

1. Ish-tah'-wee-chah'- Moon of Sore Eyes. 

ya-zan-wee. 

2. Mah-gah'-o-kah'- Moon of Ducks' Eggs. 

dah-wee. 

3. Wah-to'-pah-wee. Canoeing Moon. 

4. Wee'-pah-zoo-kah- June-Berry Moon. 

wee. 

5. Wah-shoon'-pah- Moon of Moulting Feath- 

wee. ers. 

6. Chan-pah-sap'-ah- Moon of Black Cherries. 

wee. 

7. Psin-ah'-tee-wee. Wild-Rice Gathering Moon. 

8. Wah-soo'-ton-wee'. Moon of Green Corn. 

9. Wok'-sah-pee-wee'. Moon of Corn Harvest. 



INDIAN PICTURE-WRITING 163 

10. Tah-kee'-yoo-hah'- Moon of Mating Deer. 

wee'. 

11. Tah-hay'-chap- Moon of Dropping Deer- 

shoon'-wee. horns. 

12. Wee-tay'-ghee. Moon of Severe Cold. 

13. We-chah'-tah-wee. Raccoon's Moon 

In the old days, there were many differ- 
ent bands of the Sioux, who wandered, 
during the year, over a wide extent of coun- 
try. Thus news was spread both by signal 
communication and by pictographs, when 
it was impossible to communicate by word 
of mouth. This particular message of 
Charging Eagle's was not only news, but 
also a warning to travelers to be on their 
guard, for the enemy might seek to re- 
taliate, and some innocent persons be sur- 
prised and made to pay dearly for another's 
exploit. 

In picture-writing, the head of man or 
animal is emphasized, with its distinguishing 
peculiarity of head-gear, or ears, or horns, 
while the body is barely outlined. The 
warrior is represented by a rude figure of 
a man wearing a war-bonnet, or carrying 



164 



INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 



a coup-staff. Warriors returning successful 
are shown approaching a group of teepees, 
carrying scalps on poles. If, on the con- 




FiQ. 23. 

trary, the writer's camp has been raided, 
the figures are seen departing from the tee- 
pees. A trail, or journey, is indicated by 
double wavy lines. If the travelers parted, 
the trail is branched. 




Fig. 24. 

Lightning is represented by zigzag lines 
with a suggestion of flames at the points, 
or by a large bird with zigzag flashes 
issuing from his beak. Wind is indicated 



INDIAN PICTURE-WRITING 165 



by tossed clouds; but for the four winds, or 
four points of the compass, draw a mere 
cross, or a pair of crossed arrows. For rain, 
make dots and dashes; for snow, faUing 
stars ; for 
night, stars 
above a black 
line, some- 
times adding 
a crescent 
moon. 

Every In- 
dian has his 
pictographic 
signature, and 
this idea may Fig. 25. 

appropriately be copied by Boy Scouts, 
who will also enjoy communicating by In- 
dian signs and keeping the record book or 
" winter count " in the same manner. 

The name " Sitting Bull," for example, 
is drawn as a buffalo bull sitting upon its 
haunches, with front feet in the air and 
tossing head. Spotted Tail is a charger 




166 



INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 



with luxuriant flowing tail, streaked and 
spotted with white. Hawk Eagle signs 
his name by drawing a hawk wearing an 
eagle feather war-bonnet. Big Tent draws 

a large teepee, 
with a buffalo 
tail dangling 
from the pro- 
jecting poles, 
to show dig- 
nity and im- 
portance. The 
autograph of 
Chief Bullhead 
is the figure of 
Fig. 26. a man with the 

head of a bull buffalo, perhaps surmounted 
by a war-bonnet. 

The " ghost," or spirit, is represented by 
a pair of eyes looking from the sky, or 
by the outline of a bird with great eyes. 
Prayer, or the " Great Mystery," is sym- 
bolized by the figure of a man in the In- 
dian's prayer attitude — standing erect. 




INDIAN PICTURE-WRITING 167 

with head uphfted and the tips of his 
fingers meeting in a sharp angle in front 
of his chest, gazing at the figure of the 
sun. 



XXIII 

WOOD - CRAFT AND WEATHER WISDOM 

SINCE the life of the Indian is one of 
travel and exploration, not for the 
benefit of science, but for his own 
convenience and pleasure, he is accustomed 
to find himself in pathless regions — now 
in the deep woods, now upon the vast, 
shimmering prairie, or again among the tan- 
gled water-ways of a mighty lake studded 
with hundreds, even thousands, of wooded 
islands. 

How does he find his way so successfully 
in the pathless jungle without the aid of 
a compass? you ask. Well, it is no secret. 
In the first place, his vision is correct; and 
he is not merely conscious of what he sees, 
but also sub-consciously he observes the 
presence of any and all things within the 
range of his senses. 



WOOD - CRAFT 169 

If you would learn his system, you must 
note the relative position of all objects, and 
especially the location of your camp in re- 
lation to river, lake, or mountain. The 
Indian is a close student of the topography 
of the country, and every landmark — 
hill, grove, or unusual tree — is noted and 
remembered. It is customary with the 
hunters and warriors to tell their stories of 
adventure most minutely, omitting no geo- 
graphical and topographical details, so 
that the boy who has listened to such 
stories from babyhood can readily identify 
places he has never before seen. 

This kind of knowledge is simple, and, 
Jike the every-day meal, it is properly di- 
gested and assimilated, and becomes a part 
of one's self. It is this instant, intelligent 
recognition of every object within his 
vision in his daily roving, which fixes the 
primitive woodsman's reckoning of time, 
distance, and direction. 

Time is measured simply by the height 
of the sun. Shadow is the wild man's dial; 



170 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

his own shadow is best. Hunger is a good 
guide when the sun is behind the clouds. 
Again, the distance traveled is an indi- 
cator, when one travels over known dis- 
tances. In other words, he keeps his soul 
at one with the world about him, while the 
over-civilized man is trained to depend 
upon artificial means. He winds his watch, 
pins his thought to a chronometer, and 
disconnects himself from the world-current; 
then starts off on the well-beaten road. If 
he is compelled to cut across, he calls for 
a guide; in other words, he borrows or buys 
the mind of another. Neither can he trust 
his memory, but must needs have a note- 
book ! 

The wild man has no chronometer, no 
yardstick, no unit of weight, no field-glass. 
He is himself a natural being in touch with 
nature. Some things he does, he scarcely 
knows why; certainly he could not explain 
them. His calculations are swift as a flash 
of lightning; best of all, they come out right! 
This may seem incredible to one who is 



WOOD - CRAFT 171 

born an old man; but there are still some 
boys 'who hark back to their great-great- 
grandfathers; they were not born and 
nursed within six walls! 

The colors of tree, grass, and riock tell 
the points of the compass to the initiated. 
On the north side, the bark is of a darker 
color, smoother, and more solid looking; 
while on the southern exposure it is of a 
lighter hue, because of more sunshine, and 
rougher, because it has not been polished 
off by the heavy beating of snow and rain 
in the cold season. An Indian will pass 
his hand over the trunk of a tree in the 
dark and tell you which way is north; some 
will tell you the kind of tree, also. 

The branches of the tree tell the same 
story; on the south side they grow thicker 
and longer, while the leaves lie more hori- 
zontal on the sunny side, and more vertical 
on the north. Again, the dry leaves on the 
ground corroborate them; on the north 
side of the trees the leaves are well-packed 
and overlay each other almost like shingles. 



172 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

The color and thickness of the moss on 
rock or tree also tells the secret. 

But I must leave some things for you to 
discover; and I advise you to select a rock 
or tree that is well exposed to the elements 
for a first attempt. Of course, in well-pro- 
tected localities, these distinctions are not 
so marked, but even there are discernible 
to a trained eye. 

If you ever lose your way in the woods, 
do not allow yourself to become unnerved. 
Never " give up." Fear drowns more 
people than water, and is a more danger- 
ous enemy than the wilderness. A normal 
man, with some knowledge of out-of-doors, 
can without much effort keep in touch 
with his starting-point, and, however tor- 
tuously he may rove, he will pick the short- 
est way back. Know exactly where you 
are before starting, in relation to the natural 
landmarks, and at every halt locate your- 
self as nearly as possible. Measure your 
shadow (it varies according to the season), 
and scatter dry earth, leaves, or grass, to 



WOOD - CRAFT 173 

learn the direction of the wind. The water- 
shed is another important point to bear in 
mind. On a clear night, look for the well- 
known stars, such as the " Great Dipper," 
which lies to the north in summer, the 
handle pointing west. The " Milky Way " 
lies north and south. Once you locate the 
camp, you may be guided by these or by 
the wind in night travel. 

The Indian, as an out-of-door man, 
early learns the necessity of a weather 
bureau of his own. He develops it after 
the fashion of another system of precaution; 
that is, he takes note of the danger-signals 
of the animals, those unconscious criers of 
the wilderness, both upon water and land. 
These have definite signals for an approach- 
ing change in the weather. For instance, 
the wolf tribes give the " storm call " on 
the evening before. This call is different 
in tone from any other and clearly identified 
by us. Horses kick and stamp, and the 
buffalo herds low nervously. Certain water- 
fowl display a strange agitation which 



174 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

they do not show under any other circum- 
stances. Antelopes seek shallow lakes be- 
fore a thunder-shower and stand in the 
water — the Indians say because lightning 
does not strike in the water. Even dogs howl 
and make preparations to hide their young. 
Ducks have their signal call; but the chief 
weather prophet of the lakes is the loon, as 
the gray wolf or coyote is of the prairie. 

Certain leaves and grass-blades contract 
or expand at the approach of storm, and 
even their color is affected, while the wind 
in the leaves has a different sound. The 
waves on the beach whisper of the change, 
and we also observe the " ring " around 
the sun, and the opacity and disk of the 
moon. The lone hunter may be left with 
only the open prairie and the dome of 
heaven; but he still has his grass-blades, 
his morning and evening skies. Some- 
times the little prairie birds give him the 
signal; or, if not, he may fall back upon his 
old wounds, that begin to ache and swell 
with the change of atmosphere. 



XXIV 

THE ART OF STORY-TELLING 

PERHAPS no other people enjoy good 
stories better, and are more apt at 
telling them, than are the Indians. 
This art, most highly prized in a race with- 
out books, serves as a necessary outlet to 
their imaginations, and wonderfully en- 
livens their social and family life. The 
time for teUing Indian stories is in the 
evening — best of all, around a glowing 
wood fire, on the long nights of winter. 
Here, every accent, every gesture, has its 
meaning, no faintest shade of which is lost 
upon the circle of attentive listeners. 

True stories of warfare and the chase are 
related many times over by actors and eye- 
witnesses, that no detail may be forgotten. 
Handed down from generation to genera- 



176 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

tion, these tales gradually take on the 
proportions of heroic myth and legend. 
They blossom into poetry and chivalry, and 
are alive with mystery and magic. The 
pictures are vivid, and drawn with few 
but masterly strokes. Often animals as well 
as men are the villains and heroes, and in 
this way a grotesque humor is artfully yet 
naturally developed. 

In the old days, it was customary among 
us for each clan to have its official story- 
teller, whose skill in making the most of 
his material had built up a reputation which 
might extend even to neighboring villages. 
He was not only an entertainer in demand 
at all social gatherings, but an honored 
schoolmaster to the village children. The 
great secret of his success was his ability 
to portray a character or a situation truth- 
fully, yet with just a touch of humorous 
or dramatic exaggeration. The scene is 
clearly visualized; the action moves 
quickly, with successive events leading up 
to the climax, which must be handled with 



THE ART OF STORY - TELLING 177 

much dignity and seriousness, or pathos 
and gravity may be turned upside down in 
the unexpectedness of the catastrophe. 

Here is a short example of Indian story- 
telhng : 

Far out in the middle of the " Bad 
Lands," upon the Little Missouri, there 
stands a pillar-like butte some four or five 
hundred paces in height. Here and there 
upon its sheer walls cling a few stunted 
pines and cedars, some hanging by one foot, 
others by their great toe only. Not one of 
the many gulches that furrow its sides 
affords a safe path, or even a tolerable ladder 
to the top. There is generally a pair of 
eagles who breed there, and an occasional 
Rocky Mountain sheep may be seen spring- 
ing along its terraces. We Indians have 
long regarded this butte as a sacred temple, 
the very spot for solitary prayer and fast- 
ing; but tradition states that only two 
men have ever set foot upon its summit 
for this purpose. 

Feared-by-the-Bear was a warrior of un- 



178 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

questioned bravery. One day he announced 
that he would fast upon Cloud Butte. 
Thereupon other well-known braves de- 
cided to fast there also. Their leader man- 
aged the ascent with much labor and diffi- 
culty. When, just at sunset, he reached the 
summit, he was happy; the world seemed 
revealed to him in all its beauty and ma- 
jesty. '' Where can such another shrine 
be found? " he thought. 

He took his position upon a narrow pro- 
jection of rock extending over the abyss,s 
where it is said no human being has stood 
before or since. The full moon had risen, 
and the brave stood above that silvered 
gulf of air with uplifted filled pipe and ex- 
tended arm, praying without words, as is 
our custom. 

Suddenly his ears rang with the cry: 
" Haya hay! A grizzly! A grizzly! " He 
was compelled to suspend his devotions for 
an instant, and to throw a glance in the 
direction of the call. He perceived that 
his example had been followed, and that 



THE ART OF STORY - TELLING 179 

what seemed an avenging spirit was pur- 
suing his fellow worshipper. 

" Dodge behind a tree! Run your best; 
he is almost upon you! " he shouted. But 
the nearest tree hung upon the verge of the 
precipice. If the man missed his footing, 
he must go down to death. 

There was no time to consider. Around 
the tree he flew and disappeared like a 
passing shadow. At his heels the desperate 
grizzly, who had prolonged his unwilling 
fast upon the butte for days, not daring to 
attempt the descent, lunged heavily against 
the swaying cedar to save himself from 
falling headlong. He was half a second too 
late! 

Feared-by-the-Bear had not yet been dis- 
covered. He clutched his long pipe and 
still pointed it toward the starry sky in si- 
lent supplication. Indeed, he had now more 
immediate cause for prayer. "Waugh!'* 
uttered the hungry bear, and approached 
him with wide-open mouth. 

The dizzy shelf on which the brave 



180 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

stood had been an eagle's nest for ages, 
but was just now unoccupied. Old Mato, 
the bear, seemed reluctant to advance, for 
on either side the sheer rock descended to 
a great distance. The warrior merely 
turned toward him the filled pipe which he 
had been offering to the " Great Mystery." 

"To your spirit, O Bear! I offer this 
peace pipe, the same I have just offered 
to the Maker of us both. Will you partake 
of it, and commission me to be as brave 
and strong as yourself.^ " Thus speaking, 
and without showing any nervousness, he 
pointed the long stem of the pipe directly 
at the bear, upon which Mato growled un- 
graciously, but did not offer to come nearer. 
On the other hand, he showed no inten- 
tion of leaving, and the way to escape was 
blocked. 

Feared-by-the-Bear lighted his pipe with 
the " fire maker," and smoked deliberately. 
Then he kindled a little fire in the dry 
twigs of the old eagle's nest. This seemed 
to disturb the bear, whereupon he boldly 



THE ART OF STORY - TELLING 181 

threw a firebrand at him. The dry leaves 
caught and blazed fiercely. Mato ran for 
his life, and with this new fright behind 
him, found no serious diflSculty in getting 
down the trail. 

In due time, the faster left his position 
with all dignity, and approached the lean- 
ing cedar tree behind which his friend, as 
he supposed, had leaped to death. His 
first shuddering look over the brink showed 
him that the young man still hung sus- 
pended by his hands from a large branch. 
With much difiiculty he was dragged up to 
solid rock, and his involuntary ordeal 
brought to a close. This event established 
the names and reputations of " OvercHfl " 
and " Feared-by-the-Bear." 



XXV 

ETIQUETTE OF THE WIGWAM 

THE natural life of the Indian is 
saved from rudeness and disorder 
by certain well-understood rules 
and conventions which are invariably fol- 
lowed. Simple as these rules may seem, 
they have stood the test of time, and are 
universally respected. You may be able 
to adapt some of them to the government 
of your camp. 

Each band has its chief, or leader, who 
governs through his council, and a herald 
to announce their decisions. Scouts and 
soldiers are appointed by the council. 
When several bands camp together, all 
know that there will be no change in the 
general order, aside from a few special and 
temporary rules. The clans simply en- 



ETIQUETTE OF THE WIGWAM 183 

force the usual codes conjointly, though 
any special service necessarily carries with 
it greater honor, because of serving a larger 
community. 

If a member of any band commits an 
offence against one of another band, all the 
chiefs constitute the grand jury. Their 
verdict is attested by the grand council, 
while the two persons affected have no 
voice in the matter, except as they may be 
called upon to testify of what they know. 
The punishment decreed is strictly carried 
out without prejudice or favoritism. No 
boy or man can flee from the voice and 
hand of justice. Where can he go and be at 
peace with his own conscience? 

I have said elsewhere that the tents are 
pitched in a circle, or group of circles. In 
case of a large band, their position in the 
circle is determined by their relative strength 
and reputation. The strongest band 
takes its place on the right of the entrance, 
and the next strongest takes the left. Op- 
posite the entrance is the post of honor. 



184 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

which is accorded to the greatest chief or 
temporary head of the large camp. 

Now the family circle in the wigwam 
is arranged on the same principle. The 
circle is symbolic of life, also symbolic of 
the day's journey. Woman rules the 
lodge; therefore on the right of the en- 
trance is the position of the grandmother, 
if there is one. Next her are her grand- 
daughters, the youngest nearest her. Then 
comes the grandfather, and next him the 
grown sons, if any; then the father, and 
between him and the mother, who occu- 
pies the first seat on the left of the entrance, 
are one or two of the smallest children. 
The guest is seated opposite the entrance. 

It is a rule of the Indian home that the 
grandfather is master of ceremonies at all 
times. He is spokesman for the family if 
a stranger enters. If he is absent, the 
father or the husband speaks; all others 
may only smile in greeting. If both men 
are absent, the grandmother is spokes- 
woman; if she is away, the mother or the 



ETIQUETTE OF THE WIGWAM 185 

wife speaks, with as much dignity as 
modesty. If no older person is at home, 
the eldest son or daughter greets the guest, 
but if they have no brother to speak for 
them, and an entire stranger enters, the 
girls may properly observe silence. The 
stranger should explain the cause of his 
intrusion. 

In the presence of a guest, promiscuous 
laughing or a careless attitude are not per- 
mitted. Rigid decorum and respectful 
silence are observed, and if any children 
are present, they must not stare at the 
stranger. All noisy play and merriment 
must be kept within familiar family circles, 
except on the occasion of certain games 
and dances. 

In the matter of greetings, the men alone 
greet each other with '' How! " No woman 
may use this greeting. Indians do not usu- 
ally say "Thank you!" but acknowl- 
edge a gift or favor by using some appro- 
priate term of relationship, as grandmother, 
little sister, cousin, etc. ''Hi, hi!" or 



186 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

"Thank you!" is occasionally used, but 
only when one is especially grateful. 

You should always address everybody 
in the clan by the regular term of relation- 
ship, rather than by name. If too distant, 
the word " Kolah," or friend, may be used. 
Perhaps a prettier word for the Boy Scouts 
to adopt is '' Kechuwah," or comrade. 

The serving of food is always orderly 
and polite. Guests are offered food, at 
whatever hour of the day they may ap- 
pear, as, in the wilderness life, it is safe to 
assume that they are hungry. The mother 
of the family serves first the guest, if any, 
then her father, her husband, her mother, 
the children in order of age, and, of course, 
herself last of all. Each returns his empty 
dish to her with the proper term of rela- 
tionship as a sign of thanks. 

Silence, we believe, is the basis of order 
and decorum, and the peace and dignity of 
the camp must be maintained at all costs. 
Thus any emergency is quickly made known 
and is met with calmness and decision. All 



ETIQUETTE OF THE WIGWAM 187 

formal announcements are made by the 
mouth of the camp herald or crier. 

Our Indian "Boy Scouts " are the im- 
mediate and unofficial guardians of our 
safety. If any one approaches, they quickly 
pass the unspoken signal from boy to boy, 
without letting the stranger know that he 
is discovered; and if there is any doubt as 
to his identity and character, that, too, is 
indicated, so that the experienced may see 
to it before he comes too near. The re- 
ports of the returning hunters are given 
by means of certain calls, so that the home 
folks may be prepared to receive them. 

For instance, when a bear is killed, the 
boys announce it with the peculiar call, 
*' Wah, wah, wah! " in chorus. If it is a 
deer, they cry: "Woo koo hooM woo koo 
hoo'! " In welcoming the buffalo hunters, 
the boys hold one another by the shoulders 
and imitate the lowing of the herds, finish- 
ing off with a shrill whistle. Possibly your 
college and class yells were founded upon 
the Indian game signals. 



XXVI 

TRAINING FOR SERVICE 

ONE must have a trained mind, if 
only in order to reach the height 
of one's physical possibilities, and 
all-round efficiency depends much upon the 
kind of training described in the foregoing 
talks. The " School of Savagery " is no 
haphazard thing, but a system of educa- 
tion which has been long in the building, 
and which produces results. Ingenuity, 
faithfulness, and self-reliance will accom- 
plish wonderful things in civilized life as 
well as in wild life, but, to my mind, in- 
dividuality and initiative are more suc- 
cessfully developed in the out-of-door man. 
Where the other man is regarded more 
than self, duty is sweeter and more in- 
spiring, patriotism more sacred, and friend- 
ship is a true and eternal bond. 



TRAINING FOR SERVICE 189 

The Indian is trained in the natural 
way, which means that he is kept in close 
contact with the natural world. Inci- 
dentally, he finds himself, and is conscious 
of his relation to all life. The spiritual 
world is real to him. The splendor of life 
stands out pre-eminently, while beyond 
all, and in all, dwells the Great Mystery, 
unsolved and unsolvable, except in those 
things which it is good for his own spirit 
to know. 

The good things of earth are not his to 
hold against his brothers, but they are his 
to use and enjoy together with his fellows, 
to whom it is his privilege to bring them. 
In seeking thus, he develops a wholesome, 
vigorous body and mind, to which all ex- 
ertion seems play, rather than painful 
toil for possession's sake. Happy, rollicking, 
boy man ! Gallant, patriotic, public-spirited 
— in the Indian is the lusty youth of human- 
ity. He is always ready to undertake the 
impossible, or to impoverish himself to 
please his friend. 



190 INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

Most of all he values the opportunity 
of being a minute-man — a Scout ! Every 
boy, from the very beginning of his training, 
is an embryo public servant. He puts into 
daily practice the lessons that in this way 
become part of himseK. There are no 
salaries, no '' tips," no prizes to work for. 
He takes his pay in the recognition of the 
community and the consciousness of un- 
selfish service. Let us have more of this 
spirit of the American Indian, the Boy 
Scout's prototype, to leaven the brilhant 
selfishness of our modern civihzation! 



THE END 



Books for Children 

BY 
CHARLES A. and ELAINE G. EASTMAN 

WIGWAM EVENINGS 

Illustrated by E. W. Deming. 12mo. $1.20 net. 
Dr. Eastman is a full-blooded Sioux who spent much 
of his youth in a wigwam, so that these twenty-seven 
Indian myths have the great merit of being told at first 
hand. 

.7^^ ^f"^!?!^""^ charming in their simplicity and faithfulness, 
and are told by writers who are familiar and sympathetic with 
Indian thought. -Philadelphia Public Ledger. ^ 

YELLOW STAR 

Fully illustrated. 12mo. $1.20 net. 
The appealing story of an Indian girl who came to 
live in a New-England village and who became one of 
the most popular of girls, leading in scholarship, quick- 
ness, and resourcefulness. 

Woven incidents of school and play, swift successions of inter- 

^n^J^ ^^'.^'''^'''u^" "u^"^.^^ ^"^ ^^^^^^^«' ^"d a persuasive 
out-ot-doors atmosphere, brighten the story from first to last — 
Washington Star. 

INDIAN SCOUT TALKS 

With frontispiece. 12mo. 80 cents net. 
This book represents the actual experiences of its 
author, and should be an admirable guide for Boy Scouts 
and Camp-fire Girls. 



LITTLE, BROAVN & CO., Publishers 

34 BEACON STREET, BOSTON 









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